Unrivaled Tang Sect Volume 36

Book 36: Moving Forwards

Chapter 506: He is Huo Yuhao!

The middle-aged man took his badge and immediately turned to leave. “You’re following me to the academic affairs office.” He began to walk as he spoke.

Huo Yuhao was momentarily stunned. This guy’s a little insensitive. Does he think I’m just some loser trying to get free food?

“Please  wait.  I  don’t  think  I  have  the  time,”  Huo  Yuhao hurriedly stood up and followed him.

“Why don’t you have time?” The middle-aged man frowned, and his face was still as cold as ever.

Huo Yuhao forced a laugh and said, “I’m here to participate in the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date!”

The middle-aged man’s expression was full of disdain. “You? You are to participate in the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date? You’re going to follow me to deal with this issue of freeloading. I don’t

 

care if you were once a student from the inner courtyard. At the very least, you aren’t considered one now. I have never seen you before. And even if you were, coming back to the inner courtyard to get free food goes against the Academy’s rules. Follow me to be investigated, and if I find out that you’re here often to freeload, even if you were once a student from the inner courtyard, I will cancel your status as a student and take away your graduation certificate.”

“Ah?” Huo Yuhao was astonished. He couldn’t help but ask, “Is it this serious just for a meal? Furthermore, I’m still a student from the inner courtyard!”

The  middle-aged  man  laughed  coldly.  “The  Academy  has been too lenient. That’s the reason why villains like you have thrived and succeeded. Food in the inner courtyard is so precious; how can it be given to a person like you who rips people off just like that? Just look at how much you’ve eaten. Do you know how much this food is worth?”

This middle-aged man had stopped Huo Yuhao, and his voice wasn’t soft at all. Wu Feng, Xie Huanyue, Ning Tian, Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu all heard him.

 

Their expressions were all a little strange at this moment. However, even Wu Feng, who was never friendly towards Huo Yuhao, didn’t have a sadistic look on her face. This teacher was going a little overboard. Even if a student who had graduated from the inner courtyard came back for a meal, how could that lead to his graduation certificate being stripped? Since when did Shrek Academy become so tyrannical?

Huo Yuhao heaved a sigh. He would probably have reacted angrily if he hadn’t been in Shrek Academy. However, he had always treated Shrek Academy as his home! He respected every single one of Shrek Academy’s teachers, and so he forced down the fury in his heart as he lowered his voice and said, “Why don’t we do this: I’ll pay for the food that I’ve just eaten. I really can’t afford this delay.”  He had already promised his eldest senior sister, and would probably run into big trouble if he didn’t hurry over in time. What if his eldest senior sister didn’t let him graduate?

“Pay? You’re thinking of paying now?” The middle-aged man instantly felt like he had grabbed onto Huo Yuhao’s tail. “Where were you earlier? Furthermore, how do I know if this is the first time that you’ve been freeloading from the Academy? Follow me back to be investigated. We’ll revisit this once the investigation is complete.”

 

He turned to walk out as he spoke.

“Please wait, teacher,”  Ning Tian strode over and blocked this middle-aged teacher’s path. “Why haven’t I seen you before, teacher? I can vouch that he’s part of the inner courtyard.”

The middle-aged man was momentarily stunned. “I’m a new teacher who handles discipline. You don’t know me, but I know you. Your name is Ning Tian, and you come from the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect. You can vouch for him? Are you sure? If you’re covering for him, then you will also be punished.”

Ning Tian frowned and said, “Teacher, he’s often not around because he’s usually outside carrying out missions. That’s the reason why you’ve never seen him. Even though you’re responsible for enforcing discipline, you can’t be so unreasonable. You haven’t even asked his name, so how do you know he’s not part of the inner courtyard? If there’s someone who is most worthy of eating in this canteen right now, it’s not me, and it’s not anybody else here. It’s not even you. It’s him.”

 

The middle-aged man was already convinced when Ning Tian stood forward to vouch for Huo Yuhao, but he erupted furiously when he heard her words. “Does that mean a student has a higher status than me, as a teacher? Do you know I can punish you for humiliating a teacher for what you’ve said, according to the Academy’s disciplinary rules?”

“Bullshit!” Huo Yuhao and Ning Tian were both holding back because they were concerned about the Academy, but there was someone here who didn’t have a good temper!

Wu Feng wouldn’t have said anything if this middle-aged man was targeting Huo Yuhao, but she wouldn’t have it if he was targeting Ning Tian! Her fiery temper immediately exploded as she arrived beside Ning Tian in a flash.

“You suspect our identity as students in the inner courtyard, but we’re starting to suspect your identity as a teacher. We’ve never seen you before, so what do you have to prove that you’re a disciplinary teacher? Since when has Shrek Academy said that former students can’t eat in the Academy? When have we had this rule? You’re embarrassing yourself! Detain all of us if you can!”

 

The man was infuriated when Wu Feng talked back to him. “Alright, then I’ll take every single one of you away! I want to see what else you all have to say in front of the Academy’s rules!”

“Teacher, we have to be reasonable, and that’s required even for a teacher. I think you were probably hired from outside, and you must’ve had a hard time passing the Academy’s test. Don’t ruin yourself!” Xie Huanyue said grimly as he stood up as well.

He wasn’t the only one. Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu walked over slowly, and they circled around this middle-aged man from the other side. The other students from the inner courtyard all stood up and surrounded him. Everyone had a black look on their faces.

Of course, students weren’t allowed to offend teachers. However, this was Shrek Academy’s inner courtyard, and the students from the inner courtyard had a different status compared to students from the outer courtyard. In Shrek Academy, even students from the inner courtyard could become teachers if they were willing to go to the outer courtyard.

 

The middle-aged man’s words had already incurred public anger. Even though most of these students didn’t know who Huo Yuhao was, they all had sentiments attached to their Academy’s canteen. If everyone who wanted to come back for a free meal like Huo Yuhao did would be punished by the Academy, and might even have their graduation certificates confiscated, that made everyone conflicted. Even though they didn’t say anything, they still surrounded this teacher from the inner courtyard.

“Stop this, everyone. This is just a misunderstanding,”  Huo Yuhao hurriedly interjected. He glanced at Ning Tian, and a grateful look appeared in his eyes. Ning Tian had been the first to step forward.

Ning Tian smiled faintly and said, “We have never thought about offending and talking back to our teachers, but shouldn’t teachers respect us students, as well? Yuhao, you should take your leave because you’re busy. We’ll deal with this. Wu Feng, can you please look for Dean Cai? I’ve just seen her, she should still be in the inner courtyard. Please ask her to come and deal with this. If we are really wrong, then we will admit our mistakes and let the Academy punish us however they like. Otherwise, we must ask the Academy for an explanation!”

 

Huo Yuhao nodded in Ning Tian’s direction and said, “Alright, sorry for the trouble.” That was the most appropriate way to deal with this matter. He didn’t dare to stay any longer and hurriedly walked out.

“You may not leave!” The middle-aged man suddenly reached out and grabbed at Huo Yuhao’s arm. The aura on his body flared up at the same time, and soul rings swiftly rose from beneath his feet. They suddenly emanated soul power and immediately pushed everyone around him a few steps backward.

“Eh?” Huo Yuhao didn’t expect this teacher to be so dissatisfied with the result that he would actually decide to make a move against him. The teacher’s palm contained a formidable soul skill, and eight soul rings had risen from beneath his feet. Being able to become a teacher in Shrek Academy’s inner courtyard meant that he was quite strong.

However, his eight soul rings weren’t in the optimal combination. He had two yellow, three purple, and three black soul rings. Even though it was considered good, it wasn’t considered much within Shrek’s inner courtyard.

 

A cold light flickered in Huo Yuhao’s eyes. He had been holding back again and again, but this man just didn’t know when to stop. Even the nicest people had a threshold, not to mention Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao raised his left hand, and his palm immediately became jade-green in color. He didn’t release his martial soul, but he pressed his hand toward the middle-aged man’s palm just like that.

The middle-aged man grabbed Huo Yuhao’s palm. He had thought this through, and displayed his cultivation rank as a Soul Douluo to intimidate these students from the inner courtyard. Just as Xie Huanyue had guessed, he was an external staff member who had just arrived recently.

One often felt good about becoming a teacher at Shrek Academy, and that was the reason why he naturally felt a little arrogant. Today, he had witnessed Huo Yuhao eating in the Academy’s canteen without his uniform, while he was also in charge of discipline. He immediately wanted to stamp his presence among the inner courtyard students, but who knew that doing so would incur resentment from so many students? He had thought this through. He would detain the first perpetrator before he would intimidate the other students.

 

Then, he would leave to prove whether this student in white clothes was guilty or innocent. When that happened, he would have a chance to push forward or to retreat.

As he grabbed Huo Yuhao’s hand, it gave him a very warm and damp feeling upon contact, but just as he wanted to gather his strength to channel his soul power into Huo Yuhao, he realized to his fear and surprise that Yuhao’s hand had become as tough as steel. He couldn’t move Huo Yuhao no matter how much strength he used.

“Teachers cannot attack students in the Academy. Shrek is an Academy, not a prison,” Huo Yuhao stated in a low voice.

The middle-aged man felt a wave of intense chill come from Huo Yuhao’s palm, and his entire body shivered from the cold. In the next moment, he could see that Huo Yuhao’s eyes had become extremely deep and profound, and he felt like his entire soul was being sucked into them.

Huo Yuhao shook his wrist lightly and flung the teacher’s hand away. However, he still didn’t attack. Instead, he took a step forward and planted his feet in front of the man as the formidable aura of a Savage Beast erupted from his body!

Huo Yuhao controlled this aura, and only the students in a small radius around him could feel it. That included Wu Feng, Dai Huabin, and the others, who swiftly stumbled backwards with frightened looks on their faces.

The middle-aged man stumbled backwards as this aura intimidated him. He lost his balance, and fell down on the ground just like that. His face had turned ghastly pale.

He had never expected this youth who looked about twenty to exude such a frightening aura. It was like something that came from a Savage Beast in human form!

Huo Yuhao turned around at Ning Tian, who also had a frightened look on his face. He nodded in his direction and said, “Just go according to what you said, and invite Dean Cai to deal with this. Thank you for today, everyone; I’ll take my leave now.” Huo Yuhao left the canteen with a single step, and disappeared from everyone’s sight.

Ning Tian and Wu Feng exchanged a glance. Ning Tian’s eyes were full of fear, while Wu Feng’s eyes were full of exasperation. The corner of Wu Feng’s mouth twitched as she laughed bitterly and shook her head. She was just talking about surpassing Huo Yuhao, and he immediately gave her a show a strength!

 

Even if this teacher wasn’t considered a powerful soul master, he was a Soul Douluo. Otherwise, how could he become an external staff member working for Shrek Academy? But even a teacher like this couldn’t seem to resist Huo Yuhao at all. Even though it had to do with his carelessness, the pressure that came from Huo Yuhao was even more frightening than a Titled Douluo. Furthermore, Huo Yuhao shook off the teacher’s grasp so easily. Did that mean his cultivation was…

They weren’t the only ones reacting this way. Those who were familiar with him, including Xie Huanyue, Dai Huabin, and Zhu Lu, were all speechless.

Xie  Huanyue  forced  a  laugh  and  said,  “We’ll  always  be dejected if we keep comparing ourselves to him! Looks like we won’t ever catch up to him in this life...”

Wu Feng turned and left. “I’m going to look for Dean Cai.”

The other students from the inner courtyard were coming to from their astonishment. Someone muttered under his breath, “I think that senior said he’s going to attend the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date! I have to hurry, too, it’s about time.”

The other students who were single, especially the girls, thronged out and vanished in the blink of an eye. Those who already had partners stayed behind and surrounded the wretched, formerly arrogant teacher.

------

Huo Yuhao was also stumped once he left the canteen, because he had forgotten where he was supposed to assemble for the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date.

Uh…

Forget it, I’ll just head to the lakeside. The event is held at the lake anyway, so that can’t be wrong. He could still remember where he had started the other time.

Huo Yuhao immediately accelerated after he thought that, and ran towards the place where he had last participated in the event; where he had stepped onto the lakewater.

 

Huo Yuhao quickly knew that his guess was right because he could see students from the inner courtyard, dressed in red uniforms, walking towards the lake in pairs and trios. They were walking in the same direction, and it was clear that these people were going to attend the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date. He

couldn’t be wrong as long as he followed them.

Huo Yuhao was a little dejected. If he had known better, he would have found a red uniform to wear. My white clothes might be a little too glaring when I go onto Sea God’s Lake later.

But he couldn’t care about that much anymore. He would risk being late if he went to change, and that would spell big trouble.

“Eh, aren’t you Yuhao? Eldest senior sister was just worrying about looking for you, afraid that you won’t show up. It’s fine as long as you’re here.” Two silhouettes quickly hurried to his side, and Huo Yuhao immediately felt relieved when he saw them. They were old acquaintances.

“Teacher Wang, senior sister Han, greetings.” Wang Yan was the teacher who had led Huo Yuhao’s team in the first season of

 

the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, and he was with his girlfriend, a former student from the inner courtyard who was second only to their eldest senior sister, Zhang Lexuan. She was Han Ruoruo, who had already become a teacher.

Han Ruoruo’s set of soul skills back then still left a deep impression on Huo Yuhao, and he still had some lingering fears now that he thought about them.

Wang Yan seemed a lot more cheerful compared to all those years ago. He smiled and said, “You’re finally back, Yuhao! Lexuan was worried out of her mind before this, and she even sent someone to look for you at the Tang Sect. It’s fine as long as you’re here. Let’s go, quickly. We can’t be late.”

Han Ruoruo smiled and said, “That’s right, we won’t forgive you if you dare to be late. Eldest senior sister and I will be the hosts.”

Huo Yuhao replied, “Eldest senior sister has ordered me, so how could I dare to be late? I went to grab something to eat in the canteen, and when I finished my food, I realized that I’d forgotten where we were supposed to assemble. It was great to

 

run into you guys. But it doesn’t really matter whether or not I’m there. If not for the Academy’s rules, I wouldn’t be here to share in the fun. I’m just here to go through the motions, anyway.”

Han Ruoruo’s beautiful eyes rippled a little as she laughed and said, “You still have to be there, even if you’re only there to go through the motions. Let’s go!”

------

They walked towards the lake together. The sky hadn’t turned completely dark, and he was actually earlier than he was back when he had first participated in the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date. The male students from the inner courtyard hadn’t completely assembled yet, while the female students were specifically guided somewhere else.

Huo Yuhao had gone through the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date once before. He stared at the lake’s surface that shone in the light of dusk, and fell into a bit of a daze. He could clearly remember how Dong’er had appeared in front of him that time with her true appearance, how she had called him “idiot”, and how she seemed like she was being sassy and blaming him

 

while carrying a tinge of embarrassment and happiness. Huo Yuhao would never forget it...

How great would it be if I could return to that moment! Huo Yuhao clenched his fists subconsciously, and his feelings and yearning for Dong’er were suddenly raised to their highest possible level in that moment.

“Are you alright, Yuhao?” Han Ruoruo asked in surprise.

Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power was much stronger compared to back then, and it naturally flowed out as his emotions surged up. The formidable spiritual aura even caused someone as powerful as Han Ruoruo to react in shock.

Huo Yuhao was awakened from his memories, and hurriedly calmed down as he forced a smile and said, “I’m alright, senior sister.”

Han Ruoruo smiled back. “As long as you’re alright. I’m the host, so I’m going to go ahead and get busy. You two can wait here. Someone will come when it’s time to begin.” She waved to Wang Yan and Huo Yuhao and drifted away.

Huo Yuhao watched Wang Yan’s eyes as they followed Han Ruoruo, which only withdrew when she could no longer be seen. Huo Yuhao giggled and said, “Teacher Wang, you’re deep in the river of love!”

Wang Yan blushed. “Nonsense. Let me warn you, Yuhao, I’m one of the assessors for your graduation test tomorrow.”

“Ah? You’re an assessor? Then you have to be a little more lenient when the time comes,”  Huo Yuhao said with a faint smile on his face.

Wang Yan snickered and said, “Yuhao! Let me remind you: don’t think tomorrow’s test is easy. Many people are waiting to ‘take care of you’.”

“Ah?”  Huo Yuhao was momentarily stunned. “Take care of me? Why?”

Wang Yan patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder and said sincerely,   “Seems   like   you   don’t   quite   understand   the

 

assessment criteria for our inner courtyard’s students to graduate! Let me brief you.”

Huo Yuhao hurriedly humbled himself and said, “Thank you, teacher Wang. What exactly will happen?”

Wang  Yan  chortled  and  said,  “Every  one  of  the  inner courtyard’s students can be said to be prodigies chosen by heaven. Every one of them has outstanding talent, and they all have varying strengths. You guys are both outstanding and hardworking at the same time, which is the reason why you can stand a class above the rest and become part of the inner courtyard. If you wish to graduate from the inner courtyard, then you have to meet the Academy’s standards in your strongest suit. Therefore, the inner courtyard’s graduation assessment is different for every student, and everyone has different tasks.”

“Uh…” For some reason, Huo Yuhao had an ominous feeling about this test, even though his cultivation was already at eight rings. He could tell from Wang Yan’s words that they didn’t plan to be nice to him! His graduation assessment was supposed to just be going through the motions, but it didn’t seem that easy after all.

 

“Teacher  Wang,  then  how  is  this  graduation  assessment going to be carried out?” Huo Yuhao whispered.

Wang Yan continued, “I don’t quite know how the assessment is going to be executed, but it’s definitely not going to be easy. I’ve heard that Elder Xuan has personally designed your graduation assessment. You’re the youngest, unprecedentedly so, member of the Sea God’s Pavilion. You have contributed much to the Academy, and the Academy has to nurture you well because of that. Therefore, your assessment has to be especially strict!

“The  Sea  God’s  Pavilion  will  convene  to  discuss  your examination tasks, but I’m not too sure about the details. I suspect the test won’t be too easy, so good luck! I’m only one of the main assessors for you tomorrow, there are seven in total. I know that Dean Yan, Dean Cai, Dean Xian, and Zhang Lexuan are a few of the remaining six, but I’m not sure who the other two are.”

Huo Yuhao’s jaw slowly dropped as he listened to Wang Yan. His graduation assessment had brought the Sea God’s Pavilion together for a conference, and he had seven judges? What was happening? Tomorrow’s test…

 

Teacher Xuan is watching me closely, and the Academy doesn’t look like they’re going to give me a good time. Life is too hard to live...

Wang Yan laughed in amusement as he watched Huo Yuhao’s depressed look. “Alright, that’s enough. That’s the Academy’s care and concern for you. If you can’t pass the assessment, you can just continue studying and cultivating in the Academy, at worst. Look at your eldest senior sister, she’s become a teacher in the Academy. You’re part of the Sea God’s Pavilion, so you can do the same!”

Huo Yuhao had a bitter taste in his mouth. He didn’t think much about it before, but right now, Teacher Xuan was forcing him to learn about forging soul tools properly, and Huo Yuhao had to attend him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to forge a proper pill furnace, and he couldn’t raise the Tang Sect’s overall strength. Therefore, he had to pass the graduation assessment tomorrow, no matter what!

Huo Yuhao calmed down as his thoughts stopped there. He would deal with problems as they came. The teachers still didn’t know that he had officially become an eight-ringed Soul Douluo, so the assessment shouldn’t be that difficult with that advantage. After all, the Academy’s teachers and even the Elders didn’t know the full depth of his abilities. He had five powerful Spirits to support him, so how could he not even pass a graduation assessment?

Huo Yuhao felt a lot better after thinking things through.

The sky had gradually darkened by this time. Light dotted the shores of the Sea God’s Lake, and Huo Yuhao could see with his Spirit Eyes that the outer courtyard students had already formed a large circle around the lake. That was especially true for those at the front, as they were squeezed right to the edge of the shore.

“Male students who are participating in the Blind Date, get ready!” somebody hollered at everyone, and the male students from the inner courtyard who had already gathered swiftly assembled at the lakeside.

“Hurry,  and  go.  Don’t  be  late,”   Wang  Yan  ordered  Huo Yuhao.

“Alright!  Teacher  Wang,  you  have  to  go  easy  on  me tomorrow! You have also taught me, and if I can’t pass the graduation assessment, it wouldn’t look good on you, would it?”

Wang Yan laughed and said, “Nonsense! You’re part of the Sea God’s Pavilion now, and your status is much higher than mine. Furthermore, I have never really taught you anything, so I can’t help you. You’ll have to rely on yourself!”

Huo Yuhao no longer had time to continue chatting with Wang Yan, and he vanished and reappeared at the lakeside in a flash. There were so many eyes watching, and even if he was just going through the motions, he had to be a little serious. His mind was filled with tomorrow’s graduation test, and he didn’t have much energy to think about the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date.

------

 

The lake’s surface was dark, and it was hard to see anything through the rolling mists. Huo Yuhao arrived by the lakeside and stood behind the throngs of male students. He was still thinking about how he would face the test tomorrow.

A large boat sailed in from the distance. The boat was completely lit up; the inner courtyard’s teachers and elders were here to observe the ceremony. Elder Xuan sat at the front of the boat, hugging that large wine bottle that he hadn’t used for a long time. There was a plate of chicken legs beside him, and he appeared as casual as ever.

Elder Song, Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin’er, and the other Elders, along some of the inner courtyard’s teachers, were all on the boat. Cai Mei’er was the only one who was absent.

Dean Cai was still dealing with a certain wretched, newly- hired teacher. When he discovered that the student from the inner courtyard who he had threatened and whose badge he had confiscated was the youngest member of the Sea God’s Pavilion in Shrek Academy’s history, he couldn’t be any more depressed. He wasn’t able to make a display of strength to the inner courtyard’s students, and instead, the inner courtyard’s students gave him one instead, using Huo Yuhao’s prestige.

 

Just like in all the previous years, there were students from the inner courtyard who were participating in the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date for the first time, and there were some who had been here before. Those who had participated before knew what was going on, while those who were here for the first time were filled with eager anticipation.

Life in the Academy, all studying and cultivation, was undoubtedly stale and dry. An activity like this for the young male and female students was a fantastic opportunity to display their abilities, and also a good chance to get a partner.

The large boat didn’t sail to the shore, instead stopping in the middle of the lake. Beams shot out from the lake’s surface, and light rippled through the air as the outer courtyard students who were here to watch erupted in cheers and applause.

There were sixteen beams of light in total, all pale gold. There was a girl in a long white dress standing quietly on top of every beam, and all sixteen girls were dressed in the same manner. They wore the same conical bamboo hats as before on their heads, and a white veil three feet long draped down and covered their faces completely.

 

Standing in the faint clow of the columns of light, they were just like elegant fairies on the lake’s surface. Their transcendent beauty was extremely eye-catching.

The light on the lake’s surface awakened Huo Yuhao from his contemplation.  When  he  looked  up  at  the  “fairies”  on  the lake’s surface, he was a little dazed, and felt like his hair was standing on end. The emotional changes made his heart beat faster.

Yes! Even if he was just here to go through the motions, how could he remain calm when he was once again part of the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date?

Everything was almost identical to back when he had first participated. Back then, one of the girls underneath those conical bamboo hats was his Dong’er! Huo Yuhao felt like he was dreaming as he stared at the scene in front of him, and couldn’t control his emotions.

The sixteen girls were spread out in single file. They were facing the lakeside, just standing there quietly as the male students on the lakeside were eagerly raring to go. The outer courtyard students on the lakesides were probably even more

 

excited than the participating inner courtyard students, and each cheer and applause was louder than the last.

Right at this moment, two slightly stronger beams of white light shot into the air, and two more figures appeared.

They were both incredibly beautiful. The one on the left was clad in a flowing white dress: Han Ruoruo! She had managed to get a change of clothes and even put on some makeup during this time, and was like a snow lotus blooming on the icy mountains as white light shone down on her.

Huo Yuhao’s eldest senior sister, Zhang Lexuan, was naturally to her right. Just like back when he had first participated in the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date, Zhang Lexuan was in a long yellow dress, like a blooming tulip unrivaled in beauty.

The outer courtyard students cheered even more vigorously when the two gorgeous women appeared. The shore of Sea God’s Island was a bit further away, but they were still clearly audible.

 

Love was the topic of eternity, and something that youths both male and female yearned for the most. The outer courtyard students were still young, and the Academy had been very strict on them. Their longings were very satisfied even if they could only watch this event. This was the first time that the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date had been opened for the outer courtyard to watch.

Han  Ruoruo  raised  her  voice  and  began  to  speak.  “The meeting of fate upon the Sea God’s Lake! Love is found in but a moment, as Shrek lives on for a hundred centuries. Welcome, everyone, to this beautiful evening by the Sea God’s Lake! The annual Sea God’s Fated Blind Date is about to begin. I am tonight’s host, and I am representing myself and my eldest senior sister to wish good luck to all students from the inner courtyard who are participating that they might find the love that they want and deserve!

“At the same time, welcome to all Elders from the Sea God’s Pavilion and teachers who are here to watch. I speak on behalf of the students to express our sincere gratitude to our teachers. Without your patient nurturing and support, we would not have achieved what we have today. To our juniors from the outer courtyard, if you wish to obtain a love that the Academy approves of, and to confess to the person that you love, then

 

you have to work hard and cultivate, and try to become part of the inner courtyard one day.”

Cheers and applause erupted once more. The students from the outer courtyard, especially the male students, seemed like they were on stimulants. If not for the fact that they had to watch the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date, the beautiful Han Ruoruo’s words was enough to make them forget about how tired they were from their continuous cultivating, and they couldn’t wait to go back and continue!

Yan Shaozhe was sitting in the large boat. He smiled and said, “Seems like the decision to let the little fellows from the outer courtyard watch was an extremely correct one. When the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date is over, I can guarantee that they will have a cultivation ‘climax’. The event has just begun. I’m sure the effects will be even better later on.”

Xian Lin’er grunted coldly as she muttered under her breath, “Sleazy.”

There was nothing Yan Shaozhe could do against her quip.

He could only stop talking as he shook his head helplessly.

 

Zhang Lexuan continued the speech. Her voice travelled far and wide as she said, “Now, let us invite all the male students who are participating in the blind date to prepare themselves. Thirty-six pillars will appear on the lake’s surface after this, and the students closest to our Sea God’s fairies will proceed to the first round. The students at the back are not likely to receive a suitable placing in the first round. So, pay attention, everyone. No matter what methods you use, as long as you land on the leaves of the water lilies where the pillars of light are, you will have taken that spot. Do not fall into the water, as that will strip you of your right to continue in the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date.

“Get ready, everyone! Three, two, one, begin!”

Thirty-six pillars of light suddenly shot out from underneath the lake’s surface. These pillars were neatly separated into three rows, every row about five meters apart from each other, and distributed equally about a hundred meters away from the female students, roughly two hundred meters away from the shore.

The students from the inner courtyard immediately made their moves once Zhang Lexuan finished speaking, like bolts of lightning as they swiftly pounced towards those pillars of light.

 

They all wanted to gain the upper hand and display their abilities, as it was the best way to gain the heart of the girls that they liked.

Huo Yuhao was the only one who didn’t immediately move. Everything before him was just like how he and Dong’er had fixed their relationship! Although the people were different, everything in front of him seemed identical.

The male students had already soared into the air as they rushed towards those pillars, and Huo Yuhao slowly drifted out from the lakeside. He didn’t display any of his abilities as he followed behind, and was last as he landed on a water lily. However, he didn’t release his martial soul at all, and he even used Imitation to change his white clothes to red. He didn’t want to become the center of attention,as he was just going through the motions anyway. All he had to do was to maintain a low profile.

All the students were in place. The students who had obtained positions in the first row were all overjoyed, and smiled happily. Everything was difficult in the beginning, and they had a big advantage because they had finished the first step properly. They were the only ones who had this row, and that meant they could be seen directly by the young women.

The Sea God’s Fated Blind Date wasn’t just a chance to confess, it was also a chance to display their strength and abilities. Who didn’t want the Academy to notice and pay attention to them?

Chapter 507: I'm Only Here to Show My Face

Zhang Lexuan said, “The Sea God’s Fated Blind Date on the Sea God’s Lake. Tonight, we’re going to hold our annual Sea God’s Fated Blind Date again. I believe everyone has been waiting for a long time.

“The Blind Date will be divided into five segments. Everyone, be prepared! Let me emphasize once more: once you drop into the water, you’ll be out no matter whether you’re a guy or a girl!

“We’ll also choose the most beautiful Sea God’s Fairy and the luckiest guy. However, what you need to do is to first unveil the Sea God’s Fairies. This is also the first step the male students have to take to demonstrate their abilities.”

Han Ruoruo continued after this, “That’s right! In that case, let’s begin our first segment, Mutual Feelings. We’ll begin from the left side of the first row. Every male student can do their best to demonstrate their abilities and try to remove the bamboo hat on a female student’s head. However, you better not go overboard with your actions. Otherwise, the female

 

students might not be polite, and retaliate. I can only pretend that I didn’t see anything if that happens. In addition, don’t fall into the water, just like eldest senior sister mentioned!

“First male student, you can begin!”

The moment Han Ruoruo stopped talking, the first male student drifted up. His seven soul rings shone brightly. Obviously, he was a Soul Sage from the inner courtyard. He flew into the air without aid and proceeded in the direction of the veiled young women.

Huo Yuhao had regained his focus by now. As he saw the flying male student, he nodded in approval. The abilities of inner courtyard students are still as strong as ever. This male student seems to be slightly bigger than me. I think he’s an agility-type soul master. He’s really quick. No wonder he was able to snatch first place.

A hundred meters was a short distance to cover for a Soul Sage. This young man had evidently been to past Fated Blind Dates before. Just as he was about to reach the veiled girls, he lifted both his hands abruptly, and a gust of strong wind generated from his soul power instantly swept diagonally

 

upward. At the same time, this gust of wind was blowing the dresses and bamboo hats off of the female students.

This was a cunning move. What would the young women choose when their dresses and bamboo hats were being blown up at the same time?

Exclamations could be heard. Some of the less experienced female students instantly pressed down their dresses, and forgot to use their own soul skills. Their bamboo hats were immediately blown off their heads.

There were sixteen of them in total. In just a matter of seconds, half of the female students’ bamboo hats were already blown off, and their actual appearances were revealed.

“Sorry, juniors and seniors!” the young man laughed. There was even a perverted look in his eyes. He turned around in the air and didn’t even try to remove the bamboo hats of the remaining girls, just making ready to leave.

“Pervert!”   someone  shouted  angrily.  Among  the  female students, one of them in a relatively central position suddenly

 

lifted her hand in his direction. It didn’t seem like she had used a soul skill. She only punched her fist out,and a low-pitched dragon’s roar arose. A golden ball of energy shaped like a fist was unleashed towards the sly male student.

Her bamboo hat hadn’t been removed Themale student was delighted right now. The ball of energy was about to strike him, but he wasn’t too bothered, because the aura of that female student wasn’t very strong.

He used both his hands to resist it and almost wanted to rely on its momentum to send the strike back. However, he immediately sensed something amiss when his palms touched the ball of energy.

There was an extremely fierce and domineering undulation of soul power within that ball of energy. It immediately blew apart when he touched it!

Even though he used a defensive soul skill to protect himself, he was still flung away from the explosion. His protective soul skill was destroyed, and he crashed towards the water surface free fall.

 

However, he was an inner courtyard disciple, after all. He took a deep breath and stabilized the surging energy in his body. A pair of silver wings instantly opened up on his back. He fluttered them gently before he managed to rapidly return and land gently on a lotus leaf.

The outer courtyard disciples cheered from the shore for this inner courtyard senior’s magnificent performance. However, they didn’t know that he had already broken out in a cold sweat. The energy in his body was surging madly. He kept on summoning his soul power to dispel the dominant and invasive soul power that he was subjected to earlier.

Who is she? She’s strong. I’m afraid she’s not just a Soul Sage. It’s very possible that she’s a Soul Douluo. My god! There’s even a Soul Douluo among the female students. Does that mean that we’re going to be greatly restrained?

The Sea God’s Fated Blind Date wasn’t just a blind date. To some extent, it was a healthy competition between the male and female students. This Soul Sage believed that he was one of the stronger male students in attendance today. However, he was immediately disadvantaged when he was attacked. There was no doubt that he was feeling demoralized.

 

Huo Yuhao revealed a doubtful look as he stood in last place on the third row. The young woman’s voice that he had heard earlier sounded very familiar. However, he didn’t manage to catch it too clearly, as she had spoken very briefly.

Han Ruoruo laughed. “Female student eight, you can’t attack the male students directly unless the other party has invaded the cylindrical region where you are standing. However, we’ll make an exception, since male student one was indeed a little overboard. There’ll not be any further exceptions.”

After hearing her words, the young men heaved a sigh of relief. The ladies were too fierce! If all of them attacked at the same time, wouldn’t that mean that anyone who approached them would end up in the water?

Zhang Lexuan said, “Alright, male student two, it’s your turn. Be gentlemanly.”

Learning from the lesson of the first male student, the second male student was a little hesitant. The female students were all prepared this time. He returned without making any progress. None of the female students were unveiled by him.

 

There were sixteen female students in total. At the very start, eight of them had already lost their bamboo hats. This was truly very rare in the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date. However, all the male students after the first one would find it difficult to achieve anything similarly impressive. The female students who were able to keep their hats on after the first round were not weak in ability or focus.

The thirty-six male students took their turns one by one. It was only after some time that another bamboo hat was removed.

Huo Yuhao was the last, just observing the performances of the male students in front of him. There were three Soul Sages among the male students, the rest either Soul Emperors or Soul Kings. This was already very impressive. However, the problem of the stronger female students in Shrek’s inner courtyard remained. Apart from female student eight, at least four other female students were already Soul Sages. All of them were pretty strong.

As a result, when it was Huo Yuhao’s turn, there were still four female students with bamboo hats left.

 

“Eh, I’ve been looking for you for half a day. Yuhao, why are you at the back? The more you cultivate, the further back you go! We have four bamboo hats that have not been removed. It’s your turn now.” Zhang Lexuan called out to Huo Yuhao. When she did, Elder Xuan and the rest immediately turned their attention to Huo Yuhao from their boat.

Huo Yuhao laughed bitterly in his heart. Eldest senior sister, didn’t you say that I could just come for show? Why did you call my name?

However, even though he had that mindset, he still had to properly show his face since he was here. He really didn’t want to be disqualified by falling into the water. It was his graduation test tomorrow. Wang Yan had also reminded him that he didn’t want to offend Zhang Lexuan right now.

Huo Yuhao stepped off of his lotus leaf. Yes, he walked slowly towards the female students. He didn’t appear as dazzling or impressive as the students before him. His soul rings didn’t even shine. He just walked over calmly.

Zhang Lexuan was a little amused as she muttered to herself, “This fellow is really only coming here just to show his face!”

On the shore, the outer courtyard students were confused when they saw this last inner courtyard senior.

“Eh, look at this. How is this senior able to walk so freely on the lake’s surface? What kind of ability is that?”

“I believe he should be a Soul Sage, and he’s deliberately controlling his altitude. However, how is he able to do it so easily?”

“No, that’s not it. This senior’s abilities are ice-type. He can freeze a layer of ice below him as he walks. This is why he finds it so easy. He wouldn’t find it so easy if he were flying.” The person speaking was Jin Sha, who Huo Yuhao had met earlier. Him being able to say that wasn’t because his vision was very clear. Given the lighting and distance, how could he possibly see everything clearly? He had deliberately observed Huo Yuhao as he went to the island earlier.

Just as the outer courtyard students were all engaged in discussion, Huo Yuhao arrived in front of the veiled women.

 

Initially, he had planned to make one pass around these female students before returning. However, Zhang Lexuan was watching him intently. If he really did nothing, she probably wouldn’t let him off.

As he thought about it, he mysteriously arrived in front of female student eight, who he had found familiar earlier on. He reached out for her bamboo hat.

Yes, he just reached out. He wasn’t quick at all. There was no difference between his speed and that of an ordinary person. To Huo Yuhao, given the ability that this female student demonstrated earlier, she would be able to easily block him. After that, he could just return to where he had been standing.

However, he was astonished to discover that she had no intention of protecting her bamboo hat. She let Huo Yuhao grab the edge of it without moving.

“This…”  Huo Yuhao had no chance of retracting his hand now. Could he just not take her hat off? That would be utter disrespect for both her and the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date!

 

What was going to happen to him?

As he had no choice, he could only take the hat off. To avoid a scenario where the female student had forgotten to stop him, he purposely slowed down. If she resisted even a little, he would immediately let go and put the hat back.

However, things didn’t go as he wished. From start to finish, she had no intention of laying her hands on him. She let him take off her hat and reveal her true appearance.

There was a long veil below the hat. Huo Yuhao only shifted the veil away after he lifted it up over the top of her face. It was only then that he saw her appearance.

His hand went stiff. Initially, he appeared very helpless. However, he was fixated on the girl right now. Even the ice under his feet started to crack, and seemed like it would buckle at any time.

In front of him was a cheeky-looking face. The girl looked like a fairy that had descended onto the mortal world,

 

illuminated by the beam of golden light, and accentuated by her long, white dress.

Her pinkish-blue hair flowed out behind her. There were complex undulations in her flawless eyes. Her exquisite, porcelain-like face reflected a golden glow. Every part of her was perfect, so perfect that she left those watching breathless. At this instant, all the Sea God Fairies around her paled in comparison. It was like the beam of golden light reflecting off her face was the only thing shining so brightly.

Not far away, the other young men who had joined the Fated Blind Date were all stunned. At this moment, they couldn’t be bothered looking at anyone else. In their eyes, there was only this Sea God’s Fairy.

Huo Yuhao’s hand was trembling as he held the bamboo hat.

His eyes revealed strong emotions surging through him.

“Dong’er!”  he exclaimed unwittingly and the ice under him quickly froze up even more. This spread, and all the Sea God’s Fairies suddenly felt the surface beneath them harden. They no longer needed to worry about their lotus leaves flipping over.

 

Huo Yuhao’s breathing had quickened. His lips were trembling too.

Ever since he had come to this Fated Blind Date, he had begun to yearn for Wang Dong’er more and more. Right now, he felt as if he had returned to many years ago, after seeing this girl who looked identical to Wang Dong’er. He had returned to that beautiful and unforgettable night.

Dong’er, my Dong’er, are you back?

He threw the bamboo hat away and couldn’t believe his eyes. Right now, his mind was in turmoil. He didn’t even know what to do.

“I’m Tang Wutong?” She sounded both cold and emotional at the same time, and brought the overly-excited Huo Yuhao back to earth with her words.

Tang Wutong! Yes! She’s Tang Wutong...

 

Huo Yuhao was as stunned as if cold water had been poured on him. When he saw that familiar face and curly hair, it dawned on him that she was Tang Wutong. Yes! She’s Tang Wutong. Dong’er has straight hair. Only Qiu’er and the Goddess of Light in my heart have curly hair. She’s Tang Wutong. She’s not Dong’er.

Tang Wutong just stared at Huo Yuhao and saw how he turned from being extremely delighted to disappointed. He seemed to have lost his soul in his heartache.

But, I’m Tang Wutong! I’m really not Wang Dong’er, or Wang Qiu’er. I’m Tang Wutong!

Huo Yuhao had been through a lot in his life. After a brief moment of emotional turmoil, he still managed to clear his mind eventually. He mocked himself and nodded at Tang Wutong. After that, he fled without another word. He quickly returned to his place in the last row.

He didn’t even try to talk to her? When they saw this, the male students in the inner courtyard were all astonished.

 

An absolute beauty who had let him take off her bamboo hat! What did that mean? This meant she was interested in him! However, he didn’t even say anything, and left just like that?

“Wow, so beautiful, so beautiful!”

Those from the outer courtyard could see what was going on using telescopic soul tools. Tang Wutong immediately became the focus of everyone’s attention.

Yes, she was too beautiful. No matter who it was, she was the focus of all attention.

Han Ruoruo and Zhang Lexuan looked at one another, and Zhang Lexuan nodded at Han Ruoruo.

“It’s  the  second  segment  next!”  Han  Ruoruo  said  loudly, “After the first segment, it’s time for the female students to express who they are interested in. The second segment is called Love at First Sight!

 

“The  rules  are  very  simple.  Every  female  student  has  a button to control the soul lamp below her. They can light their lamps for every male student. As long as they keep a lamp on for a male student, that male student can remain for the next segment. However, those who don’t make it will have to leave. Before the second segment starts, we’ll arrange the male students in terms of the number of bamboo hats they removed earlier.”

Among the five segments of the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date, the second segment took the least amount of time. However, it was a major test for the male students. They would be eliminated, no matter how strong or outstanding, if no female student left her light on for them. After all, there were many more male students than female students. As a result, this segment was used as a means of simplifying the process of the Fated Blind Date.

Huo Yuhao was originally in the last row, and wanted to remain there. However, since he had taken off Tang Wutong’s bamboo hat and there were only eight people who managed to do the same, he was in the first row now. The first Soul Sage who had taken off eight bamboo hats was to his right in the first row.

 

“All Sea God’s Fairies, please consider your options carefully. You will be given one minute. You must think carefully! Furthermore, let me emphasize that if you don’t leave a light on for any of the male students, it will mean that you are giving up on this event.”

The female students each had their own plans. They were all separated, and seemed very quiet now. No one knew who they were interested in.

---

A minute passed very quickly. At Zhang Lexuan’s signal, Han Ruoruo continued to emcee.

“Alright, our second segment is about to begin. First, all Sea God’s Fairies, please leave your lights on for the male students. In this second segment, it doesn’t mean that you are choosing someone if you leave your light on for him. You can give him a chance if you have a good impression of him. At the same time, you are giving yourself a chance. I’m sure the other party will take note of you if you leave a light on for him.”

 

The first to face the test was the Soul Sage who had taken off eight bamboo hats earlier.

“Three, two, one. Please light your lamps for the first male student.”

Almost instantly, half of the lamps were extinguished. After this, a few other lamps were extinguished.

The first male student’s heart was in his throat now. No matter how strong he was, he had to leave this stage if no female students chose him. Right now, he regretted going overboard earlier. His impression among the female students had fallen dramatically after female student eight called him perverted.

Fortunately, he was a Soul Sage, which still made him attractive. Furthermore, they were all inner courtyard disciples. At the very least, they were still acquainted with him. Finally, five lamps remained lit. He was fortunately not eliminated...

 

The rest of the male students started to get nervous after seeing that the first of them being dealt such a huge blow right from the start. God knew what the female students were thinking...

There were too many young men! There were sixteen female students, but thirty-six male students. The ladies in the inner courtyard were very popular. A nervous atmosphere quickly clouded the entire lake.

However, the male students in the first row performed well in the first round. They were the strongest of the young men. As for the next few young men who stepped up, more than half the female students kept their lights on for each of them.

The second segment carried on very quickly. Although Huo Yuhao was in a rather backward position in the first row, it was soon his turn.

“Next, let’s leave our lamps on for the male student in the eighth position. Three, two, one, begin.”

 

Huo Yuhao was still in a bit of a daze. He had mistaken Tang Wutong for Wang Dong’er, which was a huge blow to him. His yearning for Wang Dong’er was at its greatest right now, leaving him feeling very weak. He only wanted to quickly leave this place and return to his quarters, and just hoped that all the lights would be extinguished. That way, he could just directly leave.

However, things didn’t go as planned. None of the sixteen lamps were extinguished. They were all left lit for him.

Not to mention Huo Yuhao himself, even Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo were astonished.

It was important to note that Huo Yuhao didn’t perform too impressively earlier, even though he had taken Tang Wutong’s bamboo hat off. Instead, he was the least eye-catching. Why did the ladies leave their lamps on for him? What was going on?

Huo Yuhao was stunned. He only wanted to quickly leave, so why was he more well-liked now than he was in the previous blind date?

He could still clearly remember that there were seventeen Sea God Fairies the last time he was here. In the second segment, one lamp was extinguished for him, by Wu Feng. This time, all sixteen lamps were still lit for him. None of the other students who went before him managed to keep all sixteen lamps lit.

In fact, this wasn’t because of good fortune.

The inner courtyard female students were all intelligent and strong. In addition, they had great taste.

There were two main reasons why Huo Yuhao had all the lamps lit for him. First, it was his ‘performance’ in the canteen. There had been a few female students taking their meal. They personally saw how Huo Yuhao frightened that

 

middle-aged teacher without even unleashing his martial soul! How strong was that? Furthermore, he had a very special aura about him, even though he wasn’t particularly handsome. No matter what, he easily caught their attention.

The second reason was because of Tang Wutong.

Although Tang Wutong had not been in the Academy for a long time and was only a teaching assistant, she was still a student of the inner courtyard. She held two identities at once. Normally, she interacted quite a lot with the young women of the inner courtyard, and they respected her. After Zhang Lexuan, Han Ruoruo, Wu Ming, and the rest of the female seniors from the previous generation of students left, Tang Wutong was now the backbone of the current generation of female students in the inner courtyard. Furthermore, she was an exceptional beauty.

When the other female students saw how Tang Wutong allowed Huo Yuhao to remove her bamboo hat without resisting, they were all astonished. This also deepened their interest in him.

If even Tang Wutong approved of him, could he be ordinary?

Thus, this magical result.

Huo Yuhao’s lips twisted a little. However, no matter what, everyone was vain to some extent. He felt slightly better after seeing that sixteen lamps had been kept on for him. Naturally, he couldn’t just fall into the lake as an escape measure...

The segment continued. From the second row onwards, the male students weren’t so lucky anymore. Since they didn’t remove any bamboo hats, they didn’t leave any deep impressions on the female students. Very soon, many of them were out of the blind date as all the lamps were extinguished for them.

When the second segment ended, eighteen of the young men had been eliminated. It was the highest elimination rate in recent years, exactly half of the young men were gone. Even so, there were still two more young men left then young women.

The high elimination rate had something to do with the female students, too. They were all very outstanding, and good catches. Naturally, they were more demanding when it came to choosing their partners. Given the current situation, the ratio

 

of female to male students was almost one-to-one. The young men who remained bore high hopes that they could return with a lady in their arms!

------

After the second segment ended, the remaining male students were rearranged again.

Huo Yuhao, who only wanted to show his face at this ceremony, was arranged in first place after all the lamps were kept lit for him. He was now in the limelight.

This time, Zhang Lexuan was the one who spoke.

“After the first two segments, I believe all of you should have some simple understanding of one another. Next, we shall begin the third segment, Love at Second Sight. This time, all female students should take note that you can’t choose randomly as you did in the second segment. Once you make a choice, you must take responsibility for your choice. Every male student has a minute to introduce himself. After his self- introduction, he needs to come to me and tell me the number

 

of the Sea God’s Fairy that he fancies. After all the male students have made their introductions, the female students will make their choices. Your choice in this segment will be your final choice. You can’t go back on it. After the choices are made, we’ll proceed to the fourth segment.

“Male students, please take note that you can demonstrate what you believe is your greatest ability when you introduce yourself. You can also introduce your cultivation and other things. As long as you believe your words can capture the heart of your desired partner, you can mention anything. This time, we’ll mess up the order and pick who goes first through lots, for the purpose of fairness.”

After hearing that, Huo Yuhao immediately heaved a sigh of relief. He couldn’t fully recall these later segments. However, it was a good thing that he wasn’t going to go first. He was just here to show his face.

“The first person we’ve picked out is Huo Yuhao!”

“What?” Huo Yuhao’s face suddenly stiffened up again. Why am I still the first to go after picking lots?

 

“Huo Yuhao, you can introduce yourself. You have one minute.” Zhang Lexuan was definitely amused as she looked at Huo Yuhao.

“Uh, okay.” Huo Yuhao acknowledged her words and started to introduce himself.

“Hi everyone. My name is Huo Yuhao.”  Huo Yuhao drifted forward a few steps as he controlled the lotus leaf beneath him.

Yes, he only said this line.

“That’s all?”  Zhang Lexuan was infuriated. This fellow is indeed doing all he can to avoid the limelight!

Huo Yuhao nodded at Zhang Lexuan. He thought to himself. Since I’m just here to show my face, you can’t possibly force me to say more than I want.

However, who knew that his simple introduction piqued the curiosity of the female students?

 

Zhang Lexuan snorted and said, “Your introduction is too simple. It won’t be fair when our Sea God’s Fairies make their choices. Since you’re shy, I’ll speak on your behalf.”

I’m shy? Huo Yuhao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Zhang Lexuan cheerfully said, “Huo Yuhao is a student of the inner courtyard and a disciple of the Tang Sect.”

After hearing this, Huo Yuhao felt rather pleased. This was all true. Furthermore, she was advertising the Tang Sect. Why did he not realize that this was a good way of advertising the Tang Sect? Everyone from the inner courtyard was here.

However, Zhang Lexuan’s words after this left him looking more and more bitter.

“He joined Shrek Academy at the age of eleven and managed to emerge as eventual champion during his first test after joining the Academy, along with two of his teammates. After that, he revealed his shocking talent. He possesses twin martial souls. The last time the Academy evaluated his abilities, we

 

concluded that he was a Soul Sage. Currently, we are unsure of his abilities.

“He has taken part in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament twice. The first time, he was a substitute, but he eventually became the main force of the team. In the last fight, he turned the tables and defended Shrek’s glory, emerging as the eventual champion. From then on, he was named as one of Shrek’s Seven Monsters, along with his teammates. At the same time, he is also the main control-type soul master among Shrek’s Seven Monsters. He’s their core and spiritual figure.

“During the second tournament, he represented the Tang Sect, but there wasn’t any result in the tournament due to a sinister ploy by the Sun Moon Empire. However, the top two teams back then belonged to both the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy. His outstanding performance undoubtedly made him the most outstanding participant of the tournament.

“There’s  one  more  thing.  Huo  Yuhao  is  the  person  who established the Spirit Pagoda. He’s the inventor of Spirits, and is the current Pagoda Master of the Spirit Pagoda.

 

“Apart  from  this,  he  has  also  contributed  greatly  to  the Academy. There are many things that we can’t reveal. However, the contributions that he has made have earned him a place in history as the youngest ever member of the Sea God’s Pavilion. He’s the pride of the inner courtyard, and a current elite.”

After hearing Zhang Lexuan’s introduction, the entire place went quiet. Everyone was completely silent. All the Sea God’s Fairies opened their mouths in shock as they stared at Huo Yuhao. The other male students were equally shocked.

If the other parts of the introduction didn’t astound them, then finding out that Huo Yuhao was the one who invented Spirits and the person who established the Spirit Pagoda had deeply astonished them.

All this while, no one really knew his name because he had a call sign in the Academy. The Eye of the Asura, founder of the Spirit Pagoda, was a familiar character that every student in the Academy knew!

The Sea God’s Pavilion’s youngest member and the founder of the Spirit Pagoda! These two identities were considered

 

sacred in Shrek Academy!

Jin Sha’s jaw was almost on the ground by now. He couldn’t believe that the person that he had talked to was actually a legendary senior from the Academy. He didn’t even dare tell his fellow students that were with him, because he knew that no one would believe him.

After finishing her introduction, Zhang Lexuan smiled as she looked  at  Huo  Yuhao.  “Yuhao,  are  you  satisfied  with  my introduction of you?”

What else could Huo Yuhao say? There was no way he could avoid attention now. He could only shake his head helplessly.

It was only now that the shore of the lake started to become rowdy.

Xian Lin’er furrowed her brow on the boat and said to Elder Xuan, “Is it a good idea to put Yuhao out like that? He doesn’t seem too pleased!”

 

Elder Xuan smiled and said, “What’s so bad about this? He’s going to be the leading figure of the new generation. It’s time that everyone got familiar with him. Otherwise, he’ll always skive.”

Yan Shaozhe nodded and said, “I agree with Elder Xuan. Let me see! Given his current cultivation speed, he’ll be able to take over from you directly! Hehe!”

“Are you trying to skive?” Elder Xuan snapped.

Yan Shaozhe smiled without saying anything. When he saw the helpless look on Huo Yuhao’s face, he was gloating inside.

Chapter 508: A Blind Date Alone?

Zhang Lexuan looked at Huo Yuhao again before continuing, “Because  we  have  a  phenomenal  member  of  the  Sea  God’s Pavilion here today, we have decided to make some amendments to the usual rules for our Sea God’s Fated Blind Date in order to make it fair for everyone. Now that we have reached this segment, I suggest that we allow this esteemed member of the Sea God’s Pavilion to proceed with all remaining segments first. All female students will be allowed to select him as your preferred candidate, but rest assured that all of you would still be able to select other candidates subsequently. This new measure will ensure a certain degree of fairness for the other male candidates. After all, even the Eye of the Asura can only leave with a single Sea God’s Fairy.”

After Zhang Lexuan finished her speech, she won the applause and praise of all the other male students.

After all, who could compete with the Eye of the Asura? With him around, there was no way that the girls would choose anyone else! Even if there were some who did not show any interest in him, they were definitely in the minority. Since the original rules of the third round dictated that all of the girls could only choose their preferred male student once, this

 

would mean that they would not be able to choose anyone else after selecting Huo Yuhao. Because Huo Yuhao ultimately could only leave with one person, this would be massively unfair for the rest of the young men. If the rules were not changed, wouldn’t they end up being sideshows for Huo Yuhao’s

performance?

Hence, Zhang Lexuan’s suggestion was timely, and immensely well-received by everyone.

Huo Yuhao replied to Zhang Lexuan with a resigned tone, “Eldest  senior  sister,  why  must  you  push  me  into  the limelight… But since things have come to this, I’ll just go on and complete the remaining segments. Let’s not hold up the Blind Date for the others.”

After coming to terms with his current situation, he just wanted to complete the segments as quickly as possible and retire to prepare for tomorrow’s test.

Zhang Lexuan nodded and announced, “Alright, now let us begin the third segment, which will be specially conducted for the Eye of the Asura. Ladies, you may now begin to select him as your preferred candidate. If you have the slightest bit of

 

inclination towards him, I would urge you not to miss this great opportunity. He will begin his graduation examination tomorrow, which means this will be his last time participating in our Fated Blind Date!”

Huo Yuhao was stunned after hearing Zhang Lexuan’s words.

Is Eldest Senior Sister dead-set on messing up my world?

The way to indicate interest was still the same as before, to leave their lamp on for him. As everyone had expected, because the ladies had two chances to leave their lamps on, all of the lamps present were left lit for him!

Huo Yuhao was simply the brightest star among the other students around him. To soul masters, one’s ability would always be more important than one’s looks. Furthermore, Huo Yuhao was not bad-looking. Even the haughtiest ladies from the inner courtyard could not help but marvel at his fabled experiences.

Hence, they all mustered their courage to give themselves a chance at being paired with the Eye of the Asura. After all, even if they were not chosen by him, they had nothing to lose because they could always choose another candidate.

Despite seeing all sixteen lamps lit for him, Huo Yuhao was surprisingly calm. He knew that he was just going through the motions. The stares from the crowd would not be able to do anything to him. So what if all the lamps were still lit? There was only room for Dong’er and Dong’er alone in his heart. He

knew he just had to let them run the show, and he would leave

immediately after everything ended.

Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo glanced at the sixteen lamps and nodded gently.

Han Ruoruo announced, “After Mutual Feelings, Love at First Sight and Love at Second Sight, it’s time to let fate decide the romance for our next three lives! Hence, our fourth segment is called Destined In Three Lives! During this segment, I urge the other male students to pay attention to the proceedings. After all, it will be your turn very soon!

“During this segment, the ladies will take turns making their way to the one they have selected to introduce themselves. Huo Yuhao, please take a step forward. Even though some of you, and I believe all of you know who I’m referring to, have plenty of charisma and are capable of attracting more than one female student, I must offer all of you an important reminder. At the

 

end of this segment, if any of the male students are to end up without any interest from a single female student, I’m sorry, but you will have to leave our Fated Blind Date. The rest of the young men will proceed to the final segment.”

It was one thing to select a male student as your preferred partner; it was another to possess the courage to step forward and confess to him. Under normal circumstances, Love at Second Sight was the segment where the female students would express their interest in the male students. However, it was only when the young women stepped forward and confessed courageously that everyone could determine how sincere their feelings were.

Hence, Destined in Three Lives could very well be the most important segment.

“Alright! Now let us give our female students three minutes to make up their minds. After three minutes, all of you must make your decision. As of now, I can see that most of you admire Huo Yuhao, and that is definitely understandable. After all, he is really outstanding. However, I must say that he isn’t a guy who is suitable for every girl. When a guy is too outstanding, you must ask yourself if you possess the ability to hold his attention. While you still have a chance to continue

 

with the Fated Blind Date after getting rejected by Huo Yuhao, the other male students will have taken note of your earlier decision regarding him. Hence, I urge all of our Sea God’s Fairies to think twice before you make your decision. Your three minutes begin now!”

Huo Yuhao gently controlled the lilypad beneath his feet and glided out gracefully before everyone. It appeared eldest senior sister had helped alleviate some of the worries on his mind. The worst thing that could have happened was for him to spoil the entire atmosphere at the Fated Blind Date. That would have been terrible!

The best thing would be for everyone to not select him. He would then be able to go through the entire process peacefully and smoothly.

After hearing Zhang Lexuan’s words, many female students began to question themselves. Am I able to occupy a place in Huo Yuhao’s heart? Even though standing firm on their decision would grant them an opportunity to be with him, it was apparent that the chances were extremely slim. In fact, they had noticed that Huo Yuhao’s face was fairly emotionless, and he had not even focused his eyes on any of them so far.

 

It was only during the time he had lifted up Tang Wutong’s bamboo hat that he had revealed a shocked expression. But even then, he had regained his composure very quickly. In fact, the way he left Tang Wutong behind looked as though he was trying to escape from her...

Most of the young women felt that they could not hold a candle to Tang Wutong. If Wutong could not attract Huo Yuhao, they were definitely not confident in their looks or ability. An overly outstanding guy could very easily make a lady insecure. All of the female students in the inner courtyard were not dumb, and while they hesitated over their decision initially, they made up their minds very quickly.

Three minutes passed very quickly, and Han Ruoruo spoke. “Time’s up! Now we will begin with Destined in Three Lives. Because of Huo Yuhao’s special circumstances, we will first begin by determining how many of you are willing to select him as your preferred male student. Afterwards, we will begin with the self-introductions. Now, I will extinguish all of the lamps, and when I say begin, please light your lamps if you want to choose Huo Yuhao as your preferred partner.”

“Hold on,”came a voice from the crowd. The person who spoke was none other than Tang Wutong.

Han Ruoruo said, “Wutong, is there a problem?”

Tang Wutong nodded, and glided forward on her lilypad. She left the area illuminated by the beam of light before turning around to face the fifteen other ladies.

“Sisters, I have a request to make. I’m only here today for one person. And thus, I hope all of you can give me this chance. Can all of you do me this favor?”

Her words might have appeared to be a little ambiguous, but it was plain for everyone to see what she meant. Even though she spoke slowly, most of the ladies could sense the anxiety and desperation in her words.

Zhang Lexuan frowned and spoke, “Wutong, it’s not right for you to pressure others to give up on Huo Yuhao. It’s not fair to the rest of them.”

Tang Wutong took a deep breath before replying, “I’m sorry, Eldest Senior Sister! But, I… I…” She suddenly stopped speaking as her emotions became increasingly muddled.

And to everyone’s surprise, she bowed before all of the other female students and apologized, “I’m sorry… I was too anxious… Let’s treat it as though I didn’t say anything. Let’s continue   with   the   proceedings.”    Following   which,   she controlled her lilypad and glided back to her previous position.

Her head was now lowered as her eyebrows were locked into a deep frown. No one was sure what was on her mind, but they could all tell that she seemed to be in some sort of pain.

After observing how she had acted, Huo Yuhao was similarly shocked. What’s going on? It can’t be because of me, right…? Wutong, you better not be like Qiu’er… My heart belongs to someone already…

Zhang Lexuan spoke sternly, “I want to remind all of you to not act in the same way as Tang Wutong did. Whoever messes up the proceedings of the Fated Blind Date will be kicked out. Let’s ignore what she said and continue with the proceedings. Can we now extinguish the lights from the lamps?”

The sixteen beams of light vanished, and all sixteen female students were enshrouded in darkness.

 

“We now invite our female students to make their decisions. For those who are willing to introduce yourselves and display your abilities to Huo Yuhao, you may now light your lamp!” Han Ruoruo announced authoritatively.

The first golden light appeared from Tang Wutong.

A cold feeling gripped Huo Yuhao’s heart. Wutong, why…?

Following that, three other lamps lit up. Two of the lamps belonged to two women who up until now had not lifted their bamboo hats. The last light belonged to an extremely beautiful female student. Even though she paled a little in comparison to Tang Wutong, she was still undeniably very attractive.

It was clear that the ladies who ended up choosing Huo Yuhao possessed immense courage, and the confidence to challenge their main competitor: Tang Wutong!

Zhang Lexuan nodded and spoke, “It seems like we have four Fairies who have chosen Huo Yuhao. Can I invite all four of you to step forward？”

 

The four lilypads floated forward until they were fifty meters in front of Huo Yuhao.

Zhang Lexuan announced, “Since Tang Wutong messed up earlier, she will be the last to introduce herself. We shall now invite our female students to take turns and introduce themselves to Huo Yuhao. The order will go like this: Fairy #3, #6, #11, and then finally #8. So without further ado, let us invite Sea God’s Fairy #3 to begin her introduction. Fairy #3, you have yet to remove your bamboo hat. Would you like to remove it now?”

“I would like to remove it now.” The voice of Fairy #3 was bright and loud. She lifted her hand and removed her bamboo hat.

This young woman’s figure was very balanced, and exuded a very feminine kind of attractiveness. Her face only had a thin layer of makeup, and her big eyes were very attractive. Her short hair coupled with her brows gave her the look of a very beautiful heroine.

Zhang Lexuan announced, “You may now begin your introduction!”

Fairy #3 nodded and spoke. “Hello Huo Yuhao! I am Bai Se, but everyone calls me Xiao Bai. As of now, I’m a six-ringed Soul Emperor, which is a long way from you. To be honest, even before I entered the inner courtyard, I had already heard about your achievements in the Academy. Even though I entered the inner courtyard two years before you, you overtook me with so much ease. If I were to be very frank, I would say my feelings are borne out of curiosity rather than mere attraction. I have always revered strong soul masters and hence, whoever wants to take me as their partner must first defeat me. Even if you don’t choose me, I would challenge you to a duel in the later segment. That’s all I have to say. It’s up to you to choose me or not!”

This self-introduction was truly badass… She didn’t waste any time with flowery words, and laid her credentials and thoughts bare. She was a true badass heroine!

Huo Yuhao nodded politely as he remained silent.

Zhang Lexuan was resigned as she shook her head. Xiao Bai… You’re still as blunt as ever… It seems like it will be rather

 

difficult for you to find a husband in the future… You’re no different from a man...

“Alright. Now let us welcome Fairy #6!”

Fairy #6 was a gentle-looking lady who had not been wearing a bamboo hat. She stepped forward before gently bowing before Huo Yuhao. She spoke softly, “Hello Senior Huo, my name is Mu Yue. Similar to Xiao Bai, I heard about your incredible stories some time ago. Because I just entered the inner courtyard this year, my abilities are probably not worth mentioning. I just want you to know that I really admire you a lot. Your stories have been my source of motivation, to challenge myself and become better. Even though today is my first time meeting you in person, you have already left an indelible mark in my mind.”

Her introduction was even shorter than Xiao Bai’s, and she did not mention much about herself. But her self-introduction showed a lot more affection than Xiao Bai’s. Furthermore, Mu Yue had an enormous advantage in her voice. The way she talked was very gentle and melodic. Even Huo Yuhao was surprised at how perfect her voice was.

 

Similar to how he reacted to Xiao Bai’s introduction, Huo Yuhao nodded silently.

“Now let us welcome Fairy #11.”  Zhang Lexuan announced. “You can also choose whether you want to remove your bamboo hat for Huo Yuhao.”

“I’m sorry, eldest senior sister. As of now, I don’t want to remove my bamboo hat. I hope that Huo Yuhao can take it off for me.” A calm and clear voice rang out from underneath the bamboo hat. Even though her voice was almost a monotone, one could sense the emotions brimming in her choice of words.

“Hi Huo Yuhao, my name is Su Tong. I’m a seven-ringed Soul Sage, and my martial soul is the Icesky Snow Lady.” Her introduction was even shorter than the two ladies before her. However, her last line was enough to catch Huo Yuhao’s attention. Icesky Snow Lady?! Unless... Su Tong also possesses Ultimate Ice?

From what Huo Yuhao knew, even in the Extreme North, the Snow Empress was the only Icesky Snow Lady around. There was no other known Icesky Snow Ladies. No one had expected

 

to find someone with the Icesky Snow Lady martial soul among humans.

Huo Yuhao was not the only one shocked by Su Tong’s words. Even Zhang Lexuan, Han Ruoruo, and some of the higher-ups from Shrek Academy were taken aback by her words.

Elder Xuan turned around and asked Yan Shaozhe, “Shaozhe, what’s going on? When did we have a student with an Icesky Snow Lady martial soul in our inner courtyard? Why was I not informed of this?”

Yan Shaozhe gave an awkward laugh. “Elder Xuan, even I was not aware of this. Su Tong was only admitted into the Academy recently. When she just entered, she told us her Martial Soul was a Snow Spirit, a powerful Ice element Martial Soul. She never told us her Martial Soul was actually an Icesky Snow Lady, and we never detected her Ultimate Ice ability. It seems like she must have purposely concealed her abilities… None of us expected her to do so.”

Elder Xuan paused before saying, “How old is Su Tong this year?”

Yan Shaozhe replied, “She’s twenty—quite a bit older than Huo Yuhao. However, she possesses an Ultimate Ice Martial Soul. It is notoriously hard for a twenty-year-old to train one’s Ultimate Ice to the Soul Sage level. Her future must be unbelievably bright.”

Elder  Xuan  nodded  and  said,  “Let’s  wait  and  see.  Who knows? Yuhao might be able to uncover more unknown things about her.”

Bai Se, Mu Yue, and Su Tong were all attractive candidates in their own ways.

Bai Se exuded the vibes of an energetic and driven heroine. Mu Yue was unbelievably gentle, while Su Tong, like Huo Yuhao, possessed Ultimate Ice, and was enshrouded in an air of mystery.

But even then, they were unable to overshadow Tang Wutong.

 

Zhang Lexuan looked at Tang Wutong and announced, “Fairy #8, it’s your turn.”

While the three ladies were giving their self-introductions, Tang Wutong was just standing there silently, occasionally frowning and stealing glances at Huo Yuhao. She had a confused look on her face as a tinge of melancholy crept across it. Her anxious breathing could not hide the uneasy feelings in her heart.

“I’m Tang Wutong.” And that was all she said.

There seemed to be some sort of strange pattern in the way the ladies introduced themselves. Their introductions simply got shorter.

Zhang Lexuan frowned at Tang Wutong before announcing, “Now that we are done with the self-introductions, we can move onto the last segment, Eternal Love! Yuhao, it is now your turn to choose one of these ladies. After you have made your decision, you may leave with her. However, if someone opposes you and challenges you to a duel, you must win in order to leave with the lady whom you have selected. Failure to win means that you have to return home empty-handed. Of

 

course, you may choose from the Fairies who did not select you. If you choose any of them, they have the right to challenge you.”

Huo Yuhao nodded slightly. He already knew Zhang Lexuan had simplified the instructions given for the Eternal Love segment. After all, it was not his first time attending the Fated Blind Date, and he could still remember a large part of the rules.

Just when he was about to announce his decision — that he did not want to choose any of them — and leave, Zhang Lexuan continued, “Because we have four Fairies who have chosen you, they will now take turns to give you a one-minute confession. We will adhere to the same sequence as before. Bai Se, you may begin.”

Bai Se stared at Huo Yuhao as she glided forward on her lilypad. “Senior Huo, today is our first time meeting each other in person. To be honest, I only admire strong people, and that is why I chose you. But I must admit that we probably do not hold any romantic feelings for one another. Hence, even if you were to choose someone else, I won’t feel too upset about it. Even if you choose me, I will still find a chance to spar with you. To summarize what I have just said, rather than be your

 

girlfriend, I’m more inclined to spar with you. If you were to trash me in a battle, who knows? I might just fall in love with you.”

Even though Huo Yuhao was just going through the motions, he was still very much amused by Bai Se’s words. In fact, her confession could be summed up as the following: You can make whatever decision you want, but I must fight you!

She was a true badass… Whoever married her in the future would most definitely have an enjoyable marriage… She was definitely one in a million!

Han Ruoruo announced, “Mu Yue, it’s your turn.”

Mu Yue followed Bai Se as she maneuvered her way in front of Huo Yuhao. She took a short pause before confessing, “Senior  Huo,  in  my  eyes,  admiration  and  reverence  is  the precursor for love. Before I met you in person, I had heard so much about you. I know I don’t have much of an advantage before my outstanding senior sisters, but I still will stand forward to confess. This might just be the bravest thing I have done in the past ten years. I won’t regret my decision, because I

 

really like you. Even if you don’t choose me, you will always be a hero in my heart, forever and always.”

Huo Yuhao nodded politely in her direction to acknowledge her feelings. Her eyes and voice are too gentle… If he didn’t already have someone whom he loved, he might have wavered under such circumstances.

“Su Tong, it’s your turn.”

Su Tong did not glide forward on her lilypad; instead, she stood where she was and kept her bamboo hat on her head. The same calm and border-line monotone voice came forth again. “I know both of us possess Ultimate Ice. That’s why I’m curious to find out how different we are in terms of our power. You might be the brightest star from Shrek Academy, but I’m also very confident in my abilities. If you can use your powers to take the bamboo hat off my head, I will leave with you.”

If they were to categorize Bai Se as badass and Mu Yue as gentle, Su Tong would undeniably be haughty. Her haughtiness exuded from her words, and made many of the spectators rather uncomfortable.

 

Huo Yuhao remained calm as he nodded politely, just as before. However, he had already shifted his attention to Tang Wutong.

Even though he knew very well that Tang Wutong was not Wang Dong’er, he could not resist looking at her beautiful face.

“Tang Wutong, it’s your turn.” Zhang Lexuan announced.

Tang Wutong nodded as she looked up and stared right into Huo Yuhao’s eyes. The lilypad beneath her did not move, but it began to give off a golden radiance.

“Yuhao, we have not known each other for long. But during our first encounter, you mistook me for Wang Dong’er, and hugged me. I was very angry back then, and really wanted to kill you. Afterwards, we had a couple more interactions, and I started to look beyond the initial hatred I had for you. I began to see some of your qualities: your calm, your quick thinking, and more. Whenever your group faced any form of danger, you were always the one rushing to the front and protecting your peers, sometimes at the expense of your own safety. It was during that time that I found my hatred towards you slowly disappearing…”

Compared to her self-introduction, Tang Wutong’s confession seemed more like a slow recitation of her memories with Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao was a bit taken aback by her words. He could still remember how happy he was when he had first “met”  Tang Wutong.

“Afterwards, when we were all by the river, you grilled fish for all of us. After our feast, Nannan came over to tell me how you actually only wanted to grill fish for me. That was the most delicious meal I had ever had. What surprised me most was how eating the fish that you grilled for me gave me an indescribable feeling. At that moment, I felt lost. I don’t know how to describe that feeling, but I just felt like I really admired you. It was an admiration, or rather, a sense of attraction that came from the bottom of my heart. Even though I could not put my feelings into words back then, I felt really really happy. Otherwise, I would not have allowed you to inject your soul power into me back then at the military camp. You should know very well what that means to a soul master.”

Every soul master’s way of cultivation, especially their circulation path, was their biggest secret. Even though Huo Yuhao might not have been able to find out much about Tang Wutong’s circulation path, being given permission to inject his soul power into her was already an immense hint as to how she felt about him.

After hearing what Tang Wutong said, Huo Yuhao revealed an expression of regret. He really regretted attempting to verify Tang Wutong’s identity. If he had not tried to do so, he could still live happily in the illusion that she was actually Wang Dong’er…  even if “Wang Dong’er”  refused to be with him. But his attempt to verify her identity completely destroyed the illusion, and left Huo Yuhao with no hope. He completely gave up on Tang Wutong after realizing that she was not Wang Dong’er.

As Tang Wutong paused, Zhang Lexuan interjected, “Tang Wutong, are you done with your confession?”

Tang Wutong shook her head fervently and clarified, “Not yet. Let me finish what I have to say.”

Zhang Lexuan frowned, “Then you’d better hurry. If you take up too much time, it would be unfair to the others.”

“I understand.” Tang Wutong replied, before hastily shifting her gaze back to Huo Yuhao. “I’m running out of time, but there’s so much I want to say to you. Yuhao, I am standing before you today just like I did back then, when you chose me even before you saw my appearance. Can you take me with you today? I have so much to say to you!”

He stared calmly at Tang Wutong, but his heart was wrenching with pain. Tang Wutong… Why must you bring up such things…? You are not Dong’er, and never will be! Even though you may look like her, you are ultimately not her… How can I take you with me？

Zhang Lexuan announced, “Alright! Now that everyone is done, it’s now Yuhao’s turn to make his decision. Yuhao, the time is now yours.”

Huo Yuhao nodded at Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo before turning his attention to the four ladies before him. He sighed and apologized, “I’m deeply grateful for the attention and

 

affection which all of you have showered upon me. But to be very honest, I didn’t intend to come today. I already have a certain lady in my heart… a girl who I met at my previous Fated Blind Date. We met each other back then and got together. However, something peculiar happened to her, and she has disappeared. Even now, I’m unable to find her.

“However, this doesn’t change the fact that my heart can only contain her and no one else. Until the end of my life, I can only love her and her only. The only reason why I attended this Blind Date is because all single students of the inner courtyard must attend. Because of this, I’m terribly sorry for what I have put all of you through. Bai Se and Su Tong, feel free to look for me for a duel whenever either of you wish. I’m open to such challenges.”

With that, he turned around to look at Zhang Lexuan before saying, “Eldest senior sister, let’s call it a day. I will take my leave now and not interfere with the other students’ blind date.”

After finishing his sentence, Huo Yuhao nodded at Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo and turned to leave.

 

“Hold on!” At this very moment, three voices simultaneously demanded that he stop.

Huo Yuhao turned around, and realized that the three voices belonged to Bai Se, Su Tong, and Tang Wutong.

Bai Se spoke anxiously, “You can’t leave like this. Do you know how hard it is to bump into you in person? If I were to miss this opportunity to spar with you today, I’m not sure how long I would have to wait before I got to see you in person again. Let’s just spar today!”

Su Tong gave him a cold sneer. “That’s right. Even if you didn’t choose us, you should at the very least spar with us before leaving. I want to prove to everyone present that I am stronger than you.”

After both of them clarified their reasons, it was Tang Wutong’s turn to speak, but she merely bit her lip and kept quiet. No one knew what was on her mind. But slowly, she looked back up at Huo Yuhao with a determined stare.

 

Huo Yuhao frowned as memories of Wang Dong’er were awakened by this Fated Blind Date. Burdened by the heartache from those memories, all Huo Yuhao wanted to do was leave this Blind Date and find a quiet corner to hide. However, these ladies were overbearing, and they were getting on his nerves.

“Okay. Since both of you are so interested in challenging me, why don’t I perform two moves, and both of you try to replicate them? If either of you can replicate them, I will willingly concede defeat.”

Huo Yuhao’s voice was not particularly loud, but everyone present, regardless of whether they were above the lake or all the way at the lakeside, could hear him clearly.

At that very instant, the students from the outer courtyard stood up in unison in excitement. They were about to witness Huo Yuhao — the owner of the Eyes of the Asura, the Academy’s youngest ever member of the Sea God’s Pavilion, the founder of the Spirit Pagoda, and the inventor of Spirits — perform before their very eyes!

Was he really going to demonstrate his abilities in front of everyone? Oh, what a sight that would be! The students from

 

the Outer Courtyard had long wanted to see Spirits — an important lesson module within Shrek Academy which had been made famous by word of mouth — with their own eyes.

Nothing could beat watching the inventor use what he had invented, right? Everyone had huge expectations for the upcoming display from Huo Yuhao.

Just when everyone was hyped up for what they were about to see, Huo Yuhao took a step forward and left the lilypad beneath him. As he stood calmly above the surface of the lake, a thick circle of ice with a diameter of roughly two meters formed beneath his feet and took his weight.

Huo Yuhao nodded politely towards Bai Se before gazing up at the sky. At that very instant, his eyes appeared to lose focus, as though his attention had drifted off and away into the skies. However, this only lasted for a short while before a massive change followed. An incredibly strong sense of nostalgia rippled out into the surroundings from him. His emotions appeared to be pouring out of his gaze.

He took a step forward off the ice into the empty space before him. Huo Yuhao levitated above the lake as his soul rings

 

started to rise from his feet.

Every soul ring’s color was pristine and free from any form of adulteration. The white, black, gold and red rings were all equally impressive as all seven rings shone brilliantly with their individual colors. The energy coming off of Huo Yuhao’s body was way beyond what any normal seven-ringed Soul Sage could produce.

The outer courtyard students by the lake were not able to differentiate it, but the inner courtyard students, who were a lot nearer, were all stupefied.

Even though he only had seven soul rings, Huo Yuhao seemed to be giving off the energy levels of an eight-ringed Soul Douluo! Unless...he has already become an eight-ringed Soul Douluo? But if that is the case, why would he only have seven rings?

Of course, Huo Yuhao would not give away the answer. Before anyone knew it, he suddenly struck a fist up towards the sky.

 

At that very instant, his whole body turned golden. In fact, the soul rings surrounding him all turned golden as well. The intent from his punch left a deep impression in everyone’s hearts.

Everyone present could feel a powerful feeling of nostalgia surging from the depths of their hearts. Images of the ones they missed the most formed in everyone’s minds simultaneously.

Some missed their mothers, while others missed their fathers. But what was common between those mental images was the love they all had for the ones whom they missed the most.

The power of that fist’s intent was so strong that even the Titled Douluo on the ship were affected by the yearning for one’s loved one. At that very instant, everyone, including Elder Xuan, Yan Shaozhe, and the other powerful Douluo, had their emotions affected to different extents by Huo Yuhao’s move.

Immediately following this moving performance, a powerful golden glow exploded into the air as his golden fist transformed into a pillar of golden radiance shooting straight

 

up into the heavens, illuminating the entirety of the Sea God’s Lake, and the whole of the Sea God’s Island.

At that very instant, all of Shrek Academy was painted in gold.

Bai Se, who was standing just opposite Huo Yuhao, was completely stunned by what she had just seen. How was she going to replicate such a powerful move executed by the guy who was floating in mid-air before her? The move Huo Yuhao had performed contained a scary amount of spiritual intent, and Bai Se was certain that she would be severely injured or even killed if such a blow landed on her. She knew very well that even if she were currently at the Soul Sage level, instead of her current Soul Emperor level, she would not have been able to take the blow! Why is the intensity of the soul power fluctuations radiating from his body beyond that of an ordinary Soul Sage? Is…Is he still human?

At this very instant, Bai Se realized Huo Yuhao’s figure was indelibly imprinted in her mind. His magnificent golden figure was now an immovable image in the depths of her heart.

 

As the golden color in the sky gradually faded away, the students from Shrek Academy slowly collected themselves after witnessing Huo Yuhao’s move. However, just when they thought they had recovered from the shock, they were met with another unbelievable sight.

Yes, it appeared that something in the sky had once again surprised them. There was another person. Someone completely golden.

This person’s silhouette was incredibly beautiful. Her long dress weighed down perfectly, her long hair covered her back gracefully, while her beauty glowed in a gentle yet alluring way. She appeared to be looking into the distance, as though she were waiting or yearning for someone.

The students from the outer courtyard could not see it clearly, but those from the inner courtyard who were participating in the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date were shocked, because the levitating person looked exactly like Tang Wutong!

Only those who had seen Wang Dong’er before knew that that person was not Tang Wutong. Wang Dong’er, the former Goddess of Light, used to have wavy hair, but the person

 

levitating in the air had straight hair. But yes, that person was none other than Wang Dong’er… the person who had stolen away Huo Yuhao’s heart.

This scene was utterly breathtaking: Wang Dong’er was gazing down at Huo Yuhao from high up in the air, while Huo Yuhao returned her stare lovingly from a lower altitude. The entire Sea God’s Lake was theirs, and everyone else present was invisible.

No one wanted to let out a scream of excitement or exhilaration anymore. While they were all shocked beyond belief, they did not want to spoil the beautiful scene, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong’er’s “reunion”, taking place before their eyes.

Chapter 509: Fusion! She's Back!

Tang Wutong was in a daze as she looked at Huo Yuhao not far from her. Right now, for some reason, she felt that the distance between him and her was so far that it was unbridgeable.

Tang Wutong took in a deep breath and tried to get rid of that feeling. However, everything was in vain. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to forget the look in his eyes as he gazed at Wang Dong’er. She was now immersed in Wang Dong’er’s world.

Finally, the golden projection in the sky slowly dimmed down as Huo Yuhao looked on reluctantly. The night sky became quiet once again, and all of Shrek Academy seemed to quiet down with it.

Is this even humanly possible? How did he do this?, were the questions in every student’s mind.

Only the more experienced inner courtyard students and teachers could roughly guess that it was the most advanced

 

self-invented soul skill of a soul master. Only the most outstanding soul masters could do something like this. Furthermore, Huo Yuhao’s self-invented soul skill fused his martial soul, soul power, and spiritual power. It even contained his emotions, his yearning for Wang Dong’er!

It was the Fist of Remembrance, a fist containing a surging feeling of remembrance!

The yearning in Huo Yuhao’s eyes was slowly withdrawn. What replaced it was a deep look. He looked at Bai Se again and nodded to her, “Do you still want to challenge me now?”

Bai Se laughed bitterly and shook her head. She replied, “Although I knew that the gap between you and me was huge, I didn’t expect it to be that huge. I’ve already lost my courage to challenge you. I’ll consider it again when I have the courage.”

As she finished speaking, she paused for a moment and took a serious look at Huo Yuhao before saying, “However, senior, did you know? After you demonstrated this move, I’ve become even more curious about you. I’ve even developed an admiration for you. To me, admiration should be the precondition for love. I won't give up easily, I’ll work harder to

 

understand you. I heard that you’re from the Tang Sect. After I graduate, I want to join the Tang Sect!”

Huo Yuhao smiled and said, “The Tang Sect welcomes you, and I accept your challenge anytime.”

“Alright.”  Bai Se answered. After this, she turned to Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo and said with a high-pitched voice, “Seniors, I’ve already decided to pull out of this Fated Blind Date. After seeing what Senior Yuhao has demonstrated, I’m only keen on cultivating further. I’ll make a move first.” After she finished speaking, she jumped away and proceeded towards the shore.

After watching her leave, Zhang Lexuan revealed a frustrated look on her face. She thought to herself, Yuhao is too charismatic. He can ‘infect’ anyone everywhere he goes!

Huo Yuhao had already turned his attention to number eleven, Su Tong. Su Tong still had her bamboo hat and veil over her head, the veil still covering her face. At least on the surface, no one could tell what her feelings were.

 

At this moment, Huo Yuhao’s seven soul rings slowly winked out.

“Don’t you want to demonstrate your abilities to me ,too? What I want to see are not your self-invented soul skills.”  Su Tong said to Huo Yuhao in a high-pitched voice. However, if she could hear her voice right now, she would definitely be stunned to discover that she lacked some of the self-confidence she normally possessed.

Huo Yuhao nodded at her and said, “I’ll satisfy you, then.”

Soul rings started to rise from Huo Yuhao’s body again. However, everyone was shocked to find out that the soul rings that re-emerged weren’t the same color as they were before. They were different now!

Of the seven soul rings that rose earlier, the first one was white. This time, the first soul ring to rise was red, blood-red! It was as red as Shrek Academy’s uniform, even deeper and darker! It was a red that represented strength!

 

“Hundred-thousand-year soul ring!” many people exclaimed in astonishment.

What followed were the rest of Huo Yuhao’s soul rings. They left everyone in complete shock.

There were seven more soul rings after the first one, four orange and three red ones. In total, there were eight soul rings. Half were orange, and half were red.

A red soul ring was a hundred-thousand-year soul ring. This was basic knowledge that every soul master knew. But what did orange represent? The students from Shrek Academy, whether they were from the inner or outer courtyards, had never heard of orange soul rings before. They didn’t even know what an orange soul ring represented. Everyone was flabbergasted. They looked at Huo Yuhao like he was a freak.

Huo Yuhao gradually lit up with a jade-green glow. All eight soul rings were quietly drifting around him. The clear water of the Sea God’s Lake started to crystallize at an alarming speed.

 

Very soon, a tough icy layer spread all the way beneath the feet of both the male and female students on Sea God’s Lake. As the surface beneath them hardened, they were able to relax in controlling their soul power. The speed of the crystallization was even increasing. In just a matter of seconds, the entire Sea God’s Lake rippled with a layer of icy fog.

Yes, Sea God’s Lake had frozen up. The entirety of Sea God’s Lake was covered with ice.

The temperature in the air dipped significantly in just a short period of time. Everyone could sense the intense chill. However, the outer courtyard students could still handle the chill, as the chill only came from the surface of the lake.

Without even using a soul skill or performing any visible action, Huo Yuhao managed to freeze the entire Sea God’s Lake. Although Sea God’s Lake wasn’t a true lake, it was still expansive. How easy was it to freeze the whole thing?

Moreover, Huo Yuhao had unleashed eight soul rings, and the color of every soul ring was astonishing.

 

The students of Shrek had all heard that he had twin martial souls. However, it was their first time seeing twin martial souls with their own eyes.

He had two martial souls. One was seven-ringed, and the other was eight-ringed. He was a Soul Douluo, a Soul Douluo who was barely twenty years old!

If Huo Yuhao was only a myth in the Academy in the past, he was now transforming according to the myth right now.

---

Even Elder Xuan was astonished. “Since when did this fellow have eight soul rings? They’re even hundred-thousand-year soul rings!”

Yan Shaozhe took this opportunity to say, “Elder Xuan, now do you believe that he doesn’t have to wait until the future to replace me, right? He can just directly take over from you.”

---

Huo Yuhao calmly said to Su Tong, who was standing where she was without saying anything or moving an inch, “If you can turn the lake back into water, you win. You should know that ice-type controllers like us take control of temperature first. I’m not taking advantage of you in any way.”

Su Tong nodded silently. However, she didn’t say anything before suddenly jumping up and heading. Everyone around knew that she couldn’t undo what Huo Yuhao had managed to do so easily.

Huo Yuhao turned to Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo and said, “Seniors, let’s leave the lake frozen. It will melt slowly on its own. It’ll also make things easier for the other students of this Fated Blind Date. Apologies for taking everyone’s time.”

Huo Yuhao nodded at the male and female students to acknowledge them. I should be able to leave now. The Academy invited me over because they wanted me to demonstrate my abilities and inspire everyone to cultivate. I’ve helped them achieve their goal.

“Wait a minute.”

Huo Yuhao appeared slightly dissatisfied as he was halted once again. He wasn’t in a good mood right now. He was starting to become a little angry as he was stopped over and over again. However, his anger dissipated when he saw the person who had halted him.

There was no more complicated look in Tang Wutong’s eyes now. Her determined gaze was flashing with golden light. Even though she wasn’t Wang Dong’er, she still looked very similar to her. No matter what, Huo Yuhao couldn’t bring himself to be angry with her.

“You’ve already demonstrated your abilities to them. What about me?” Tang Wutong said calmly.

Huo Yuhao furrowed his brow and asked, “Tang Wutong, are you challenging me?”

“Why not, since the rules allow it?” Tang Wutong replied calmly.

 

Huo Yuhao sighed and replied, “But I don’t want to fight you. I’m not in the mood, either. You should know that I won’t hurt you.”

Tang Wutong said, “What if I insist?”

Huo Yuhao’s eyes flashed, and he said coldly, “How do you want to fight, then?”

Tang Wutong revealed a smile. It seemed rather weird. It appeared to be a teasing smile, but very uncomfortable, too. When the two expressions came together, it indeed made her smile appear a little odd.

Huo Yuhao’s heart skipped a beat when he saw her smile. For some reason, he felt something was about to happen.

Tang Wutong said, “Forget it, I don’t want to fight you either. Although I don’t think that I’ll lose to you, you taught me that day that I shouldn’t bite the hand that fed me.”

“What do you want, then?” Huo Yuhao asked.

Tang Wutong replied, “Do you still remember our time in the Star Luo Empire? Back then, you used your soul power to check my power before you left. I agreed to your request back then. Right now, I want to do the same to you. I want to try what you did. Is that considered fair? I’ve already let you check me. If you want to leave, you can do so.”

“What?”  Huo  Yuhao  didn’t  expect  Tang  Wutong  to  make such a request. He was a little confused, as he couldn’t figure out what her goal was.

“Why,  are  you  scared?”   Tang  Wutong  looked  a  little provocative as she stared at him.

Huo Yuhao shook his head and said, “That’s not a problem. However, I just want to know what you’re checking for. What are you trying to feel in me?” He was clearly unconvinced that Tang Wutong only wanted to sense his soul power.

Tang Wutong pursed her lips and answered, “Did you tell me the reason when you did this to me before? You only patronized me with a few words.”

“Alright. Do it then.” Huo Yuhao only wanted to leave now. Furthermore, he was also confident that Tang Wutong wouldn’t harm him.

The surface of the lake was already frozen solid. Tang Wutong directly walked off of her lotus leaf towards Huo Yuhao.

Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo didn’t stop her. Everyone was watching quietly. Huo Yuhao was also unaware what Tang Wutong was going to do, much less the rest of the people.

 

The distance between them closed quickly, Tang Wutong stopped in front of Huo Yuhao. She nodded at him and said, “I’m going to begin.”

Huo Yuhao didn’t answer, and only quietly spread his arms.

It actually looked like he was about to catch her.

Tang Wutong’s face turned red. After hesitating slightly, she lifted her hands and placed them on his.

Tang Wutong’s hands were soft and delicate. One could be aroused even touching her tender palms. Huo Yuhao was startled, and tried to force himself to detach Wang Dong’er from his thoughts. However, he realized that he couldn’t do so.

Tang Wutong and Wang Dong’er were simply too alike. Even if they were different people, it was almost impossible to not link them together.

It wasn’t Huo Yuhao’s first time sensing her soul power, and she gradually poured her soul power into his hands.

 

Precisely because he had experienced it before, he knew that Tang Wutong’s soul power was extraordinary. Although it wasn’t like his Ultimate martial soul, Huo Yuhao felt that her soul power was even stronger than his Ultimate Ice soul power. Her soul power contained something that wasn’t in his soul power, something that seemed extraordinary and seemed to have been enhanced.

As for what it was, Huo Yuhao couldn’t say in detail.

However, he was certain that it existed.

Huo Yuhao didn’t resist at all. He allowed Tang Wutong to freely pour her soul power into him and touch his soul power.

As his cultivation increased, the quality of Huo Yuhao’s soul power was not that far from Tang Wutong’s, especially after he absorbed the Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence, even though there were still some qualitative differences.

At this moment, Huo Yuhao suddenly saw Tang Wutong smiling. He was a little stunned when he looked at her, as he didn’t know why she was smiling.

 

It was at this time that a pair of huge golden wings appeared behind Tang Wutong. Soul rings also started to surface from her feet.

Black, black, black, black, black, black, red, and red.

There were actually eight soul rings. They were even fully complementary. There were six ten-thousand-year soul rings and two hundred-thousand-year soul rings.

Huo Yuhao was astonished at this moment. He also didn’t know that Tang Wutong was actually a Soul Douluo. She actually has eight rings already. She went into closed-door cultivation earlier so that she could obtain eight rings?

However, even if she has eight rings and wants to demonstrate her abilities to me, what’s the point of doing so?

There were dense scaly patterns on her wings, which were dragon wings. Tang Wutong’s martial soul was the powerful Radiant Dragon God’s Butterfly. Although they were dragon wings, they were still shaped like butterfly wings.

 

Just as Huo Yuhao was confused about what Tang Wutong was doing, her forehead suddenly lit up. A golden trident was exuding a strong glow.

Huo Yuhao felt instantly felt dizzy when he saw the glow from the golden trident. However, there was a weird sense of closeness, as well.

An astonishing scene appeared. Tang Wutong’s wings fluttered gently, and streaks of golden light started to spread out like fog. As these streaks of light quickly spread, they actually surged towards the trident on her forehead, and were quickly absorbed by the golden trident.

This was…

Huo Yuhao was shocked as he looked at Tang Wutong. He was the closest to her, and her soul power was inside him, and he could feel it most acutely. However, he couldn’t understand what was going on.

It wasn’t just Tang Wutong’s wings that had experienced changes. Even the soul power that was pouring into his body

 

was experiencing changes. Some of the changes were more obvious: the something in her soul power that Huo Yuhao had sensed earlier was rapidly weakening, whereas that familiar and close feeling he had sensed was becoming stronger and stronger. The intense discrimination of his soul power was also gradually disappearing.

Her soul power and martial soul are actually changing? Is this even possible? Don’t tell me that this is her self-invented soul skill?

Huo Yuhao was a genius, and believed that he had a deep understanding of soul masters, since he was the person who had invented Spirits. Moreover, there were also the Snow Empress, Ice Empress, and Skydream Iceworm within him. Much of their knowledge had been imparted to him.

However, Huo Yuhao didn’t get a reply when he tried to call to them. All of them, including the Ice Bear King and the Star Anise Mysterious Ice Grass, were asleep. They didn’t respond at all.

Slowly, Huo Yuhao’s eyes opened wider and wider. Tang Wutong’s wings were gradually changing...

First, her scales became illusory, as if they had been absorbed by the wings. The dragon scales gradually disappeared. The original golden glow also slowly dimmed. The edges of the wings started to turn a dim blue. Furthermore, that color was slowly intensifying.

“This, this…”

The soul power that Tang Wutong poured into him slowly started to change. It was becoming more and more complementary to his soul power, and even started to entangle itself with it. After this, it even…

Slowly! Gradually! Fused!

Huo Yuhao was in a daze right now. Fuse? It actually fused? Even though the speed of fusion is slow, it’s still fusing! It’s slow, but continuous!

It’s as if… it’s like it was before…

 

Haodong Power!

Huo Yuhao’s heart was shaking. He had only patronizingly raised his hands, but now he subconsciously tightened his grip on hers. The way he looked at her also started to change.

The draw from Tang Wutong’s forehead was becoming stronger and stronger as golden light fused with the golden trident. The wings behind her back and the scales on her wings had completely disappeared, and were quickly turning blue. There was now a V-shaped golden pattern covering the blue of her wings.

It was no longer the Radiant Dragon God’s Butterfly. It was… the Radiant Butterfly Goddess!

Huo Yuhao’s heart was completely gripped right now. At this moment, the pain in his heart had completely disappeared. What replaced it was only a strong sense of suffocation.

It was his first time experiencing what a miraculous recovery was. At this instant, the seemingly pitch-black night sky had finally brightened up.

Tang Wutong looked at Huo Yuhao. There seemed to be boundless love and yearning in her captivating eyes. She smiled, and her discomfort seemed to have disappeared. What was left was only that teasing look. However, there was a crystal-clear tear in her eyes at the same time.

On the boat, everyone, including Elder Xuan, stood up. They were all stunned. Huo Yuhao didn’t know what was going on, and neither did they. No one could guess what had actually happened to Tang Wutong.

Finally, the last streak of golden light was absorbed by Tang Wutong’s golden trident. What was left was only the combination of blue and gold, the combination that he was most familiar with. The combination that he had been thinking of all this time.

“Am, am I in a dream?” Huo Yuhao was in a daze as he looked at Tang Wutong. His voice was trembling madly. It was trembling so much that it didn’t even seem like he was talking.

“Idiot,” Tang Wutong snorted.

 

Idiot? What a familiar word! Huo Yuhao only felt a stinging feeling in his eyes, and tears flowed out uncontrollably.

At this moment, there wasn’t any derogatory connotation to this call. It made him feel as if the entire world was blissful.

All the negative emotions in his heart seemed to have been split apart and swept away at this moment.

He wanted to say something, but there was something in his throat. He couldn’t say a single word more.

At this moment, soul power surged from Tang Wutong’s hands. It was very strong, and instantly surged into Huo Yuhao’s body. During this process, Huo Yuhao’s Mysterious Heaven Technique was subconsciously fusing with it.

Yes! This was the Haodong Power that they both possessed!

The last time they had fused was on the Sun Moon Empire’s battlefield. Back then, Huo Yuhao was not even a Soul Emperor. Now, they were both Soul Douluo!

The immense soul power raged through Huo Yuhao’s body. The soul core on his forehead was stimulated, and opened up. His soul power was being enhanced at an alarming speed.

It was unprecedentedly strong. Huo Yuhao only felt that countless whirlpools seemed to have appeared in his fluid soul power. Every whirlpool was crazily absorbing and compressing soul power, making him stronger and stronger.

He was in control of his soul power. It started to take form as it flowed from his right hand through him, out from his left hand, and entered Tang Wutong.

Tang Wutong pulled Huo Yuhao with both her hands. She pulled so hard that he took a step forward. She was now in his embrace. Suddenly, both their bodies lit up, and their eight soul rings released a fascinating and unprecedentedly bright glow.

Huo Yuhao disappeared. A huge vertical eye that was filled with gentleness and love appeared where he was previously.

Eye of the Asura!

Tang Wutong also disappeared, and turned into a giant but beautiful Radiant Butterfly Goddess. Her wings closed up and engulfed that vertical eye.

All the lights retracted instantly. When they shone again, everyone couldn’t help but squint.

A tri-colored beam made of blue, gold and jade-green light appeared. The vertical eye, which seemed so abstruse, as if it

 

were another dimension on its own, shot out from this beam of light.

The tri-colored beam of light shot a thousand meters into the sky before turning into a huge beam that seemed to support the entire sky.

On the shore, Bei Bei was now in tears as he witnessed everything. He muttered to himself, “A Golden Road Amidst Withering Resplendence.”

Yes! Wasn’t that tri-colored beam of light Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong’er’s fusion skill, A Golden Road Amidst Withering Resplendence?

Ten years ago, they had used this powerful fusion skill to earn their reputation in Shrek Academy.

Ten years later, this fusion skill revealed its true brilliance. It was more than a hundred times stronger. A sense of awe could be felt everywhere in the air. That beam of golden light seemed to have permanently imprinted itself on the sky.

 

The huge vertical eye rose into the sky. Two projections lit up at either side of the vertical eye. On one side, there was the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, which was shining with diamond ice crystals and a jade-green glow. The other side was completely black. However, there was a weird golden pattern that flashed.

It was the dense and heavy Clear Sky Hammer.

The two projections instantly fused into the vertical eye. Suddenly, the vertical eye changed. A jade-green hammer surfaced as distorted lights shone. The hammer struck the sky.

There weren’t any resounding sounds to be heard. However, the entire Shrek Academy shook slightly. A jade-green halo that spanned more than a hundred meters in diameter appeared in the sky. The inside of this halo was a deep, black and hollow hole.

Yes, it had hammered the sky until it cracked!

Xu Sanshi was grabbing tightly onto Bei Bei’s shoulder. He was muttering word by word, “Blaze! Amidst! The! Frost! The! Heavenly! Emperor’s! Hammer!

 

The sky cracked. The two sides of the hammer revealed different projections once again. One side was the rose-gold Eye of the Asura, while the other side was still the pitch-black Clear Sky Hammer.

Both the Eye and the Clear Sky Hammer fused together. The originally jade-green hammer suddenly turned golden. Following this, it disintegrated. Countless small golden hammers flashed past within a region covering a thousand meters in diameter. Strong spiritual undulations caused everyone to feel stunned.

Jiang Nannan sobbed as she threw herself into Xu Sanshi’s arms. He Caitou’s voice trembled as he said, “Mantra Amidst the Void, Spiritual Tempest. She’s back. Dong’er is back!”

Everything soon returned to a peaceful state. The Ice Jade Empress and Radiant Butterfly Goddess silently surfaced. They gazed at each other.

In the next moment, they performed their last fusion.

 

As they fused, there was only a golden pattern left in the sky. Following this, a captivating leg walked out from the hole. A bright golden figure quietly appeared in the void.

She was wearing an elegant golden dress. On her forehead, there was a vertical eye with sunray patterns. She was holding a long dragon pike in her left hand. In her right hand, there was golden trident that was filled with dominance, strength and elegance.

Her wavy pinkish-blue hair drooped behind her back all the way down to her feet. As she appeared, everything around her lost its gloss.

A gentle icy fog circled her body, and snowflakes started to dance in the air.

“This…”

“Solitary Dance Amidst the Frost, Raiment of Light!”

Yes, she was back.

Bei Bei, He Caitou, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan and Xiao Xiao were all very emotional at this point.

They were all good friends with Wang Dong’er! When Wang Dong’er was still in a coma, Huo Yuhao was depressed. But how could they not be depressed too? They only avoided mentioning her name in front of Huo Yuhao because they were afraid of triggering his emotions further. However, this didn’t mean that they weren’t sad! It was just like how Huo Yuhao was also very worried about Tang Ya, and risked his life to save her. They were teammates, close friends, sworn friends and Shrek’s Seven Monsters.

Right now, they were all very emotional when they saw the familiar Golden Road, Heavenly Emperor’s Hammer, Spiritual Tempest and Raiment of Light.

In fact, they had known that Tang Wutong was here for the Blind Date. Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo also knew, but they didn’t tell Huo Yuhao beforehand. This was because they were afraid of making him feel conflicted. At the same time, they wanted to give him a surprise.

 

Right now, they couldn’t contain themselves when they saw what was happening, even though they had already predicted this long ago.

The Goddess of Light descended from the sky as she was surrounded by icy fog, dim golden light, and the ravishing and holy looks of the Goddess of Light, as well as the Eye of Destiny on her forehead. Even Yan Shaozhe was in awe, even though he was a Transcendent Douluo.

Everyone could sense how strong the Goddess of Light was. This was the fusion of light and ice, and the best form that Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong’er could adopt together. No, it should be the best form that Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong could adopt together.

The Goddess of Light gently landed on the icy surface. She scanned the entire place, and a slight smile appeared on her face.

Initially, Huo Yuhao had controlled three of the four fusion skills that Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong’er shared. Only this Goddess of Light was mainly controlled by Wang Dong’er. At

 

the same time, this fusion skill was the most extreme out of the four fusion skills.

This was because the Goddess of Light possessed almost all the abilities that Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong’er had. She combined their powers perfectly.

The Goddess of Light had appeared once again. Right now, this Goddess of Light was the combination of the eight-ringed Huo Yuhao and eight-ringed Tang Wutong!

A fusion skill which was a combination of the powers of two eight-ringed soul masters should be as strong as the abilities of a Titled Douluo. Currently, they were two of the strongest in the world of soul masters. As for how strong the Goddess of Light was, no one knew as of now.

The Goddess of Light lifted her head to look at the sky, revealing a complex look in her eyes. Following this, a gentle, golden glow rippled from her body. Everything seemed to turn illusory within this golden glow.

 

Two figures separated from the Goddess of Light. Under the golden light, they turned back into Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong.

Four eyes met. Huo Yuhao was already in tears. A tall, big man was now crying like a child. Huo Yuhao had turned his yearning for Wang Dong’er into the Three Ultimate Haodong Skills. Right now, his yearning for Wang Dong’er had turned into love and tears.

He hadn’t expected such a surprise today. This surprise enhanced his life and made him long for life. It was everything; it was the courage to carry on living, the will to pursue excellence and the confidence to reach for the godly realm.

When Wang Dong’er was in a coma, Huo Yuhao’s entire world had turned grey, but it was now colorful once again.

“Dong’er!” Huo Yuhao hugged her. He hugged her tightly, as if he wanted to make her a part of him. He only felt that his mind and heart were being enhanced right now. His soul power was surging, and their Haodong Power was unleashed the instant he hugged Tang Wutong. His passageways widened,

 

and thick soul power undulations surrounded both him and Tang Wutong.

Tang Wutong lay in his embrace. Her arms circled around his waist and back. She gently said, “I’m Tang Wutong, not Dong’er.”

“It’s not important. It’s not important right now.” Huo Yuhao said agitatedly. He wasn’t willing to let go of her anymore. He had found his love again. This feeling made him feel as if he had earned a new life.

Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo looked at each other and smiled. The two of them said together, “A union has been made. Huo Yuhao, Tang Wutong, congratulations.”

“Thank you, thank you.” Huo Yuhao couldn’t say anything else right now. His heart was already filled by the person in his arms. He gently touched the icy surface with his toes and shot into the sky. In the next instant, he turned into a beam of golden light that disappeared deep into Sea God’s Island.

 

It was only at this instant that everyone on Sea God’s Lake and the shore of Sea God’s Lake reacted. Although most people didn’t know what had happened, they saw what the result was. They saw that astonishing yet touching scene.

Suddenly, the atmosphere at the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date was raised to the extreme.

Huo Yuhao didn’t return to the Sea God’s Pavilion. He hugged Tang Wutong as he flew to the platform that they had fought on together before. This was the quietest place on the island right now. They wouldn’t be disturbed.

Huo Yuhao continued to hug her tightly even as they landed.

It was as if he really wanted to fuse her with him.

It was only now that Huo Yuhao felt that everything that had happened before was unreal. Yes, it was unreal.

There was nothing more appropriate than the Haodong Power to prove Tang Wutong’s identity. The Haodong Power only belonged to him and her!

 

Even though it was much stronger than it was before, its origin was still the same. He was too familiar with this. He was too familiar.

Chapter 510: You Still Have to Go Through My Father

Tang Wutong leaned into Huo Yuhao’s arms as she quietly felt his passionately burning heartbeat. They shared this embrace, and two slender shadows stretched out under the moonlight.

Tang Wutong pushed Huo Yuhao away gently after a long while, and stood straight from within his arms.

Huo Yuhao lowered his head and stared into her eyes. Tang Wutong felt her heart skip a beat, as his gaze was just too passionate, hot enough to melt steel.

“Yuhao.”

“Mm.” Huo Yuhao’s hands were still around her waist, and he didn’t relax his grip at all, like she would immediately leave him if he did.

Tang Wutong said gently, “Give me some time, okay?”

Huo Yuhao was momentarily stunned. “What’s up with you, Dong’er?”

Tang Wutong shook her head gently. “I’ve already said, I’m Tang Wutong. I’m not Wang Dong’er. Really, I’m Tang Wutong.”

“Eh?” Huo Yuhao stared at her in surprise. He responded confusedly, “Dong’er, didn’t you come here to reunite with me on the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date because you’ve recovered your memory?”

Tang  Wutong  gently  shook  her  head  and  said,  “More accurately put, I have recovered the memory that belonged to Wang Dong’er.”

Huo Yuhao was even more perplexed. He stared at her in confusion and asked, “What’s happened, exactly, Dong’er?”

Tang Wutong said gently, “Just call me Tang Wutong from now on. That’s my real name. Dong’er is a fake name I used back then.”

Huo Yuhao immediately nodded. Her name was secondary to him; what was most important was Tang Wutong as a person.

Tang Wutong’s eyes seemed a little a blurry as she smiled bitterly and said, “To be frank, I had to think long and hard about meeting with you on the Sea God’s Lake today, and that’s because I know I’m not entirely ready yet. Listen to me, okay?”

“Okay.” Huo Yuhao’s eyes instantly became a little more nervous. Even though he was very excited because of his reunion with Dong’er, he could tell from Tang Wutong’s expression that things didn’t appear that simple. How could he not be nervous?

Tang Wutong held his hand and pulled him over to a flat surface beside them and sat down.

“Do you remember that day? The Dragon Emperor Douluo forced us into a corner, and you stabbed yourself nine times to save me.”  Tang Wutong’s voice trembled a little as she spoke. Even though that had happened a long time ago, she could feel her heart and soul quivering when she thought back to what had happened that day.

“That day, when I watched you plunge that knife into your own body with a plain and emotionless look on your face, my entire heart tied itself into a painful knot, and I was hurting so much. Only then did I realize what suffocating heartache felt like. I will never forget that feeling.”

“I’d already developed some positive feelings towards you by then, but there was no way I could identify what that feeling was. But I knew that you didn’t stab yourself with that knife for me because you liked me, you did it because I was your companion. Perhaps, part of the reason was also because I look very, very similar to Wang Dong’er. Furthermore, what I saw in your eyes wasn’t pain – it was liberation. Yes, liberation. In that moment, I suddenly felt so terribly afraid, and that wasn’t just because of the pain that you were suffering. More of that was because of your eyes that seemed like you were liberating yourself. Only then could I clearly see how deep your love for Wang Dong’er was.”

“I was struck a little deeper with every stab, and my emotions quickly crumbled. When I watched you stab yourself for the last time, when you were definitely going to die, I felt like something somewhere deep in my heart had cracked apart. That pain was indescribable, and in that moment, I

 

seemed to lift some kind of seal as countless things surged through my brain. I passed out.”

“When  I  woke  up  and  saw  you  next  to  me  and  that  you weren’t dead, nothing seemed bad about the situation. I was a little lost because there were too many memories in my mind. That made me panic and afraid, and my entire being was lost and confused. I didn’t like that feeling, but I seemed to like how those memories returned to me. Therefore, I carried you and took you back to the Tang Sect. I returned to Sea God’s Island after taking you back, and I told everyone I was going into closed-door cultivation so that I could sort out these messy memories.”

“I gradually began to understand that, yes, your initial judgment wasn’t wrong, and I am Wang Dong’er. Rather, I used to be Wang Dong’er, your Wang Dong’er. But Wang Dong’er’s memories aren’t the only ones in my mind. Have you not realized? Back when I was Wang Dong’er and when I was together with you, I never spoke to you about my childhood. That’s because Wang Dong’er back then didn’t remember anything that happened in her childhood. And now I, Tang Wutong, and not Wang Dong’er, am a complete version of myself. Wang Dong’er’s memories are of those years that she spent with you. Other than that, I have many memories about

 

my childhood, some remnants of which have come through Wang Qiu’er.”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but for the moment, Wang Dong’er’s memories have taken charge amidst all my memories. Memories of my childhood and those remnants from Wang Qiu’er seems to have merged together with those main memories. I’m lost and I don’t know what to do, but I do know that I cannot lose you, you’re just too important to me. But I cannot lie to you, and I cannot tell you that I am purely Wang Don’ger, because I am Tang Wutong. I am Tang Wutong, who was once Wang Dong’er. Aside from my childhood memories and Wang Qiu’er’s remnants, I have the memories spent with you that belong to Tang Wutong. These memories are making me confused and frightened, and I don’t know if you’re willing to accept me like this. I haven’t been able to sort through everything yet, and I need some time. I need some time to see myself clearly.”

Huo Yuhao slipped into a bit of a daze as he listened to Tang Wutong’s description, but his eyes gradually became gentle and tender once more. There wasn’t just deep emotion in his eyes, they were also full of loving pity.

 

Huo Yuhao opened his arms and took her into his embrace. He gently caressed her wavy pinkish-blue hair as he said gently, “You’re thinking too much, silly girl. You became my Dong’er from that moment when my soul power fused with yours and recreated our Haodong power. I can understand everything

you’re saying, and the reason why you’ve become like that is because of that strange illness that you suffered from as a child. If I had known you were Dong’er without her memory, even if you’d completely forgotten me, I would still find ways to make you like me all over again. Right now, your memories are just a little mixed up, so how can I not accept you? As long as I’m sure that you’re my Dong’er, no, I should say that you’re my Wutong, then I am content. I will love you, treasure you, and wait until you’ve completely rediscovered yourself, until you’ve completely merged your memories together. I have an entire lifetime to wait, so I’m not worried or impatient. I’m not worried at all. But this time, I will never let you leave my side again, no matter what. I will always protect you, and I will be wherever you are. Nobody can separate us anymore.”

Tang Wutong listened to his confession that came from his heart, and her eyes slowly turned red as she leaned into his arms and gently shut her eyes. “Do you know, Yuhao, I really wasn’t ready at all. I was afraid that I wouldn’t have a chance to prove to you that I’m your Dong’er, and I was also afraid that you would reject me because I’m no longer purely Dong’er. But I couldn’t not try, because I didn’t know if my future self

 

would have a chance if I missed this chance. I’m very happy, I’m truly very, very happy. I will definitely work hard to merge all my memories together, with Dong’er’s memories guiding everything. But I’ve realized that besides my childhood memories from which you are absent, all my memories are

filled with you.”

Huo Yuhao chuckled and said, “That’s good enough!”

Tang Wutong’s elegant body suddenly tensed as she turned to look at him.

“What’s wrong?” Huo Yuhao was sensitive, and immediately felt that change.

Tang Wutong frowned slightly and said, “Yuhao, I’m afraid there will be trouble in the future because we are together. I’m afraid you’ll have to gain my father’s approval first.”

Huo Yuhao laughed and said, “I think I’m considered outstanding among the younger generation. How can my father-in-law not approve of me?”

 

Tang Wutong shook her head gently and continued, “It’s not that simple. I’m my father’s only daughter, and my father’s love for me is definitely not beneath yours. He’s said that anybody who wants to be his son-in-law has to accept and pass his strict assessment.”

Huo  Yuhao  replied  without  hesitation.  “That’s  normal.  A father-in-law testing his son-in-law is natural. I will accept everything, no matter how difficult the tests are. Furthermore, I believe that he won’t deliberately give me trouble if he knows how much I love you.”

“But, my father…” Tang Wutong stopped there, as the golden trident on her forehead suddenly flickered, and she swallowed the rest of her sentence. She blushed faintly, and her expression became a little strange.

Huo Yuhao didn’t notice all that, and he just hugged her. His heart was full in this moment.

Tang Wutong also leaned into his arms as she slowly closed her eyes. It wasn’t hard to imagine the conflict and struggle that she had suffered in her heart, and an unsettling feeling echoed in her heart from time to time. Yet now, finally, she had

 

managed to find her man once more in the second Sea God’s Fated Blind Date that they had participated in together.

She lifted her hand and gently touched the golden trident on her forehead. Tang Wutong couldn’t help but pout a little, like she was trying to express cheeky displeasure to someone.

It was daybreak, and the light of the morning sun stretched gradually from beyond the horizon as a gorgeous and transparent beam.

It carried the gentle morning dew as it shone upon a beautiful couple in the Sparring Arena.

Huo Yuhao gradually opened his eyes as purple light could be faintly seen from the bottom of his eyes, and he absorbed the purple energy that came from the white sun in the east. His entire being’s aura seemed to be awakened.

He lowered his head and stared at Tang Wutong, who was still sleeping soundly on his lap, and his eyes became incredibly tender.

Yes, they slept for the entire night in this place. They didn’t confess anything more, and they just had each other’s warm embraces as they felt each other’s heartbeats and love. They slowly fell into slumber as they immersed themselves in that

 

intoxicating sensation. The shadows in their hearts seemed to have been dispelled after this night, and as Huo Yuhao opened his eyes and saw the light coming from the horizon, all he felt was that his fatigue from the recent months was gone. His mind felt even more liberated than his body did.

Huo Yuhao gently caressed Tang Wutong’s long hair, and he realized that his feelings towards her seemed to have changed compared to a long time ago. There was more treasuring besides love, and there was nothing more joyous for him than for Dong’er to return to his side. Just like he had told her last night, he wouldn’t let her leave his side ever again, no matter what. He would protect her for his entire life.

“I was wondering where you two were. You’re actually all the way out here. Did you sleep here last night?” A voice suddenly rang out in this moment, and Huo Yuhao was awakened from his thoughts. He turned around, and saw his eldest senior sister, Zhang Lexuan, walking up from beneath them with an amused look on her face. She quickly arrived next to them.

Tang Wutong woke up. She had slept lying down, and used Huo Yuhao’s thigh as her pillow. She was sleeping very comfortably as she opened her blurry eyes and saw Zhang

 

Lexuan. She hurriedly sat up as she lowered her head. She blushed as she said softly, “Eldest senior sister.”

Zhang Lexuan grinned and said, “The two of you have been reunited after all, and I didn’t waste my efforts this time. Seems like the two of you have settled everything?”

Huo Yuhao stared at Zhang Lexuan in shock. “Eldest senior sister, so you already knew…”

Zhang Lexuan laughed. “Of course. Otherwise, why do you think I’d help her? Why would I arrange everything like that? Would I let the two of you confess to each other in private? But I wasn’t very confident when the event was halfway through, because I didn’t know how Tang Wutong would convince you, stubborn donkey. Seems like she did have a solution after all!”

Huo Yuhao scratched his head. What had happened last night was no longer important for him. What was important was that he had managed to find Dong’er once more. Rather, he managed to find Tang Wutong again.

 

“Eldest senior sister, why are you looking for me so early in the morning?” Huo Yuhao was a little displeased about Zhang Lexuan interrupting their warm and peaceful time together.

Zhang Lexuan rolled her eyes and said ,”Yuhao, have you become forgetful? You must have forgotten about real business because you have Wutong. Do you still want to graduate?”

“Ah? Yes, I…” Huo Yuhao really did forget that he had his graduation assessment today! Furthermore, Teacher Wang Yan had told him that his graduation test would be difficult yesterday. He was still thinking about the assessment when he was participating in the Sea God’s Fated Blind Date, and he was supposed to prepare for the test after going through the motions for the event. But Tang Wutong had recovered Dong’er’s memories, and their Haodong power had fused once more, and that made him forget about his test completely.

Only now when Zhang Lexuan brought it up did Huo Yuhao remember that he had such an important thing to do.

“You did forget, didn’t you! Are you still taking the test? Let me tell you, if you don’t take this test, you’ll have to wait for at

 

least three years before you can have another chance. Hurry up.”

“Oh,  okay.  Wutong,  come  with  me.”   Huo  Yuhao  turned around and grasped Tang Wutong’s hands as he spoke. They were finally reunited, and he wouldn’t let her leave his side, no matter when and what.

“Alright.” Tang Wutong nodded in acknowledgement, there was some amusement in her eyes as she stared at him. She could feel his nervousness towards her, and she was very happy about that!

The test naturally wouldn’t happen so early in the morning. Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong went to eat something before they arrived outside the Sea God’s Pavilion together. Zhang Lexuan told him that the test would begin here.

Their surroundings were very tranquil and peaceful when they arrived in front of the Sea God’s Pavilion. Nobody else was around, and Huo Yuhao led Tang Wutong as he knelt down in front of the Golden Tree and kowtowed respectfully.

 

“Do you know, teacher? I’ve finally found Dong’er again, and she’s called Tang Wutong now. Her illness has been treated, and we are finally back together again. I will never let her go again, and I will always be beside her to protect and love her. I will take her as my wife, and you must come if you can on the day that we get married! You are my closest family, and we would be especially happy if you could give us your blessings.”

Golden light seemed to flicker on the Golden Tree, as if the Dragon God Douluo Mu En was answering them.

“You’re  still  young,  and  you’re  thinking  about  marrying? Weren’t  you  always  so  depressed  and  lifeless  before  this?” Elder Xuan’s teasing voice could be heard.

Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong stood up, but they were a little dazed as they turned around, because the formation that they could see was a little too large.

The Elders of the Sea God’s Pavilion streamed out from the Sea God’s Pavilion under Elder Xuan’s lead. Elder Xuan walked at the forefront, while Elder Song and Elder Zhuang followed behind him. The other elders were behind them, along with the Martial Soul Department’s Dean, Yan Shaozhe, the

 

department’s vice-Dean, Cai Mei’er, the Soul Tool Department’s Dean, Xian Lin’er, and its vice-Dean, Qian Duoduo. Their eldest senior sister Zhang Lexuan, Bei Bei, Teacher Wang Yan, and Han Ruoruo followed at the back.

Almost every single person from Shrek Academy’s upper echelons had arrived. Am I not the only one taking the graduation test today? This thought surfaced in Huo Yuhao’s mind.

“Greetings,  Elder  Xuan,  elders.”   Huo  Yuhao  and  Tang Wutong hurriedly came forward to greet them.

Elder Xuan could see that they were holding hands, and he couldn’t help but laugh as he said, “Are you satisfied now? Let me tell you, if you want to leave Shrek City again, you may, but Wutong has to stay. You can go wherever you want, and we won’t restrict you at all.”

Huo Yuhao immediately said without hesitation, “No, I’m not going anywhere. I will be wherever Wutong is.”

 

“Hahahaha!”  Huo Yuhao’s attitude caused all the elders to laugh out loud.

Elder Song couldn’t help but smile and shake her head. “Youngsters! Youngsters after all.”

Huo Yuhao scratched his head embarrassingly. What he said was instinctive, and just came out of his mouth.

Tang Wutong blushed even more, but she had no intention to withdraw her hand from Huo Yuhao’s grasp.

Elder Xuan said, “Alright, let’s talk about legitimate business. I’ve heard from Lexuan that you’re planning to pass the test and conclude your studies in the academy?”

Huo Yuhao was a little speechless. Do you not know what I want? My graduation test has already brought out the various elders. What are they trying to do?

“Yes! I have been studying in the academy for many years, and I wish to pass the test so that I can officially become a

 

graduate from the inner courtyard.” He had other thoughts on his mind, but he was still very honest and politically correct on the surface. It seemed like this formation would be quite a challenge to overcome, so it was better to be a little more honest and sincere.

Elder  Xuan  nodded  and  said,  “Good!  That  counts  as  an accomplishment in your studies, and that’s a very glorious thing for students. Because of your especially outstanding performance, everyone will observe today’s graduation test. Lexuan! You will be the main supervisor. Tell him what today’s test will be about.”

“Yes!”  Zhang Lexuan acknowledged as she stepped out and stared at Huo Yuhao amusingly. But for some reason, Huo Yuhao could feel that her smile wasn’t a friendly one.

“The original plan was to give you seven tasks, but after my report to the Sea God’s Pavilion’s Elders, they have decided that because of your contributions to the academy, and because you’re also part of the Sea God’s Pavilion, we will condense seven tasks into three.”

 

Huo Yuhao’s head swelled when he heard that there were seven. Seven condensed into three seems pretty good. But these three tasks will probably very difficult.

Yes, Zhang Lexuan’s subsequent words made Huo Yuhao react with utter shock.

Zhang Lexuan said, “First, because you’ve accepted teachings from both the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department, both departments will give you an assignment to accomplish separately. These constitute the first two assignments, and they have been given by Dean Yan and Dean Xian respectively. Dean Xian’s assignment for you is for you to forge a Class 9 stationary soul cannon shell for the academy, and Dean Yan’s assignment is for you to defeat him in battle…”

“What?” Huo Yuhao stared at Zhang Lexuan with wide eyes and open jaws, like he was witnessing the descent of God.

This is the graduation test? What kind of test is this?

His first assignment was to craft a Class 9 stationary soul cannon shell, and his second assignment was to defeat Dean

 

Yan. Dean Yan was a Rank 97 Transcendent Douluo who possessed the Radiant Phoenix as his martial soul! What kind of joke was that?

Zhang Lexuan pretended she didn’t hear Huo Yuhao’s exclamation as she continued, “As for your third assignment, it’s intended to test your integrated abilities. The academy will give you a third assignment once you complete the first two, and the academy will let you graduate once you complete that one.”

Huo Yuhao was completely speechless at this point. He glanced at Zhang Lexuan, and then at Elder Xuan beside her. He laughed bitterly and said, “Elder Xuan, do you think we can do it this way? I’ll just remain a student at the academy, and I’m not going to graduate. Is that okay?”

Elder  Xuan  said  amusingly,  “Yes,  of  course  you  may.  The academy will be proud to always have a student like you. But I have to remind you of one thing! Huo Yuhao, the academy has a very explicit rule that students are not allowed to have intimate relationships with teachers. Tang Wutong is now an assistant teacher for the academy. Therefore, there is a problem with the status between the two of you. You can

 

continue being a student, but you won’t be able to have this relationship with Teacher Tang in the future. Do as you wish.”

“Ah?” Huo Yuhao almost vomited blood. This is a conspiracy!

This is such a devious plot!

He could clearly smell a conspiracy, and it was a conspiracy indeed. He had just found Dong’er, Tang Wutong, yesterday, and today’s test was so incredibly difficult. They were even using Tang Wutong to threaten him. So treacherous! This is just too treacherous!

“Elder Xuan, are you sure that’s right? Teacher Wang Yan and senior sister Han Ruoruo…” Huo Yuhao tried to talk back.

Elder  Xuan  said  casually,  “After  they  got  together,  Han Ruoruo immediately took her graduation test and passed it. She’s now a teacher in the academy, so there’s no problem with her status. You can do the same if you pass the graduation test!”

Huo Yuhao was as gloomy as ever. “Then is my test the same as senior sister Han?”

Elder Xuan maintained his casual tone as he said, “Why do you keep asking such foolish questions, child? What is our academy’s mission? To nurture monsters, not normal people, right? Since that’s the case, won’t our students receive different graduation tests? Graduation tests for the inner courtyard’s students are different for every person, don’t you know that? Therefore, your test is definitely different from Han Ruoruo’s test.”

Zhang Lexuan nodded and said, “Know how to be content, Yuhao. The academy is already being very lenient towards you. You have a long time limit for this assessment, so you don’t have to be too greedy. You can just complete this test within three years.”

The corner of Huo Yuhao’s mouth twitched. “Eldest senior sister, have the contents of my graduation test been reviewed and changed impromptu? Why don’t I just take the original seven assignments?”

Zhang  Lexuan  replied  grandly,  “Yes,  the  test  has  been changed! We reviewed and changed the test last night. You have already displayed the strength of an eight-ringed soul

 

master, and your eight rings are extraordinary. How can a normal assessment satisfy our requirements for this test?”

“I…” Huo Yuhao was full of regret, and his regret was already turning his insides green. Why did I flex? Now, my test is truly very difficult.

Huo Yuhao laughed bitterly and said, “But there’s no way I can complete this test! You know how difficult it is to craft a Class 9 stationary soul cannon shell, Dean Xian, so how can you give me such a difficult task? That’s just too difficult. And, Dean Yan, you’re a Rank 97 Transcendent Douluo, and I’ve just passed Rank 80. There’s still an insurmountable gap between the two of us. I don’t think I can reach your rank even after thirty years, not to mention three!”

Yan Shaozhe smiled faintly and said, “That’s enough, stop trying to undervalue yourself. How can I not know your abilities? You’re most adept at creating miracles, and as for reaching rank 97 after thirty years, I don’t think you’ll need that long. Alright, why don’t I give you some leeway? Don’t you have martial soul fusion skills with Tang Wutong? My test shall allow you two to team up in battle. Consider your task completed if the two of you can team up and defeat me together.”

Xian Lin’er nodded and said, “Then I shall give you some leeway as well. Don’t you have Xuan Ziwen, that Class 9 soul engineer in the Tang Sect? Why don’t we do it this way: you can team up with him, and he’s allowed to help you. The two of you shall craft two Class 9 stationary soul cannon shells for the

academy, and then you can consider your task completed.”

That’s extortion! That’s just pure extortion of labor! Huo Yuhao wanted to cry and break down. But he had just found Tang Wutong again, and his mood was just too good. He wanted to cry, but no tears came out.

Elder Xuan pulled a generous face and said, “Since everyone has decided to be lenient, then I shall as well. Before you complete your test within three years, I shall allow you to be together with Tang Wutong temporarily. But if you can’t complete your tasks within three years, don’t blame me for breaking you two apart.”

Huo Yuhao’s face turned black. Is there much of a difference between you being lenient or not? Is there? Is there?!

 

Yan  Shaozhe  grinned  and  said,  “Youngsters  have  to  be confident in themselves. This is considered both pressure and motivation for you. Originally, we didn’t intend to give you so much pressure, but now that you’ve gotten together with Wutong, you must be in a very good mood, so that pressure

must be liberated quite a bit. We can’t progress without no pressure at all. Since your original pressure has been lifted, then we will naturally give you pressure again so that we can avoid you not being focused or not putting in effort.”

Brutal!

Huo Yuhao couldn’t say anything to argue. The academy had been teaching and helping him over so many years so that he could gradually become one of the elites of the younger generation. Now, the academy wanted to give him trouble for his graduation assessment and give him pressure. What could he say?

Huo Yuhao’s face was as black as could be, and his expression was full of helplessness.

Tang Wutong squeezed his hand.

 

Huo Yuhao turned to Tang Wutong as she smiled and said, “Dean Yan is right, having pressure isn’t a bad thing. You’re not the only one who needs to work hard. I have to as well. We can work hard together. Three years isn’t considered a long time, but it isn’t too short.”

Tang Wutong’s encouragement was much more effective for Huo Yuhao than any mystical pill. He took a deep breath and turned back to his various Elders as he nodded and replied, “Alright, I will definitely give my all to pass this graduation test.”

Elder  Xuan  grinned  and  said,  “That’s  right.  Don’t  worry, during the time that you’re cultivating, the academy won’t assign any extra tasks to you. As for your final assessment, we will determine that according to your circumstance and the situation on the Continent. You just have to work hard on cultivating when you go back. Your trip to the Heavenly Soul Empire’s frontlines has dealt a heavy blow to the Sun Moon Empire. You’ve ruined one of their soul engineer legions, and killed an evil Titled Douluo. That must be quite a blow to them. The Sun Moon Empire shouldn’t make any large movements for a while. News from the frontlines has told us that the Sun Moon Empire’s empress, who’s known as the Sun Moon Valkyrie, is pregnant, and she shouldn’t be placing

 

herself at the frontlines for a while. That should give us enough time to prepare and gather ourselves.”

The Sun Moon Valkyrie is pregnant?

Huo Yuhao trembled a little as he heard those words. Of course, he knew who the Sun Moon Valkyrie was referring to.

A feeling that was hard to describe rose from his heart. His relationship with Ju Zi was vague and difficult to understand, but they were definitely not enemies.

Back then, when he and her were together at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, he still didn’t know that Dong’er was a girl. Ju Zi could be said to be the first girl that had touched his heart. Afterwards, because of their respective identities and statuses, and also because of the target that Ju Zi had set for herself, they slowly drifted apart until they met again on the battlefield.

Ju Zi remarked that Huo Yuhao was soft-hearted, but the truth was, how could she not be soft-hearted when facing him?

 

Huo Yuhao couldn’t develop any kind of belligerence or unfriendliness towards her.

Ju Zi is pregnant? The Sun Moon Empire’s emperor, Xu Tianran’s child. Even though Huo Yuhao knew that they didn’t share that kind of sentiment or relationship anymore, he still couldn’t help but feel a little sour and bitter inside. Perhaps it was normal for a guy to feel like that.

“Elders, since the graduation test is like that, then I’m going to hurry back and work hard.” Huo Yuhao laughed helplessly as he turned to leave.

“Don’t be in such a hurry,” Elder Xuan stopped him.

“Eh?” Huo Yuhao glanced at Elder Xuan confusedly.

Elder Xuan continued, “Look, us elderly men have gathered for you. That’s not easy! Furthermore, we can’t let you make this trip for nothing. As the saying goes, if you know yourself and you know your enemy, then you will always emerge victorious. I’m afraid you don’t really understand Shaozhe’s abilities. Why don’t the two of you have a practice battle with

 

Shaozhe? First, so that we can see exactly how powerful the two of you are, and second, this will be a good chance for you to understand Shaozhe’s abilities. In that case, you will have a target or guidelines for your subsequent cultivation.”

A practice battle with our Dean, Yan Shaozhe?

Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong exchanged a look. Who was Yan Shaozhe? He was the Dean of Shrek Academy’s Martial Soul Department, and he was the previous Master of the Sea God’s Pavilion, Mu En’s eldest disciple. In some sense, he was still Huo Yuhao’s senior brother, and he was also a Rank 97 Transcendent Douluo. Yan Shaozhe’s strength could be ranked within the top five in Shrek Academy, and his Radiant Phoenix also possessed some extremely mystical abilities.

Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong had just recently attained their eighth soul rings, and in terms of strength, perhaps not even ten of them could match Yan Shaozhe. However, that was before considering their martial soul fusion skills.

The truth was, the Elders of the Sea God’s Pavilion had opened a conference overnight yesterday so that they could talk about Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong’s martial soul fusion

 

skills. Of course, these Elders wouldn’t give Huo Yuhao trouble just because they had nothing better to do. The reason why they had decided on these three incredibly difficult assessments was after they considered things in the long-term. These graduation assessments were meant to be difficult not because they wanted to give him trouble, but because they wanted him to spend more time cultivating hard in the academy and at the Tang Sect.

The Elders could see Shrek Academy’s immensely glorious future from Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong’s four martial soul fusion skills. These two soul masters were both considered top- tier soul masters, and they could unleash four different martial soul fusion skills. That meant that once they became Titled Douluo, they might be able to fight against an Ultimate Douluo!

Shrek Academy was still weaker in terms of overall strength compared to the Holy Ghost Church, and the only thing they could rely on was the academy’s foundations accumulated over ten thousand years, in addition to the complicated relationships between the Dragon Emperor Douluo, Long Xiaoyao, the Death God Douluo, Ye Xishui, and the Dragon God Douluo, Mu En.

 

But if the Sun Moon Empire wanted to conquer the entire continent in the future, they couldn’t possibly wrap around Shrek Academy. They would meet on the battlefield at some point. The academy was definitely at a disadvantage in terms of fighting strength at the highest level.

Even though Shrek Academy and the Great Star Dou Forest’s soul beasts had an intimate relationship, when push came to shove, the Beast God Di Tian would never make a move for Shrek Academy.

Not to mention the fact that Shrek Academy had dealt severe losses to the soul beasts during that beast invasion, huge losses to both human parties were beneficial for the world of soul beasts. That meant the soul beasts couldn’t possibly help Shrek Academy in any way.

Chapter 511: Teamfight Against Yan Shaozhe

Given these problems, Shrek Academy was desperately in need of outstanding individuals who were capable of countering the upper echelon of the Holy Ghost Church. Although Elder Xuan was only a single step away from becoming an Ultimate Douluo, he clearly knew how difficult it was to the step to Rank 99.

As for Yan Shaozhe and XIan Lin’er, they were still very far from becoming Ultimate Douluo, despite already being Transcendent Douluo. They weren’t the only ones that were far away either—every soul master within Shrek Academy shared this situation.

As things stood, what could they do in the face of an Ultimate Douluo? Contrary to expectations, an opportunity had presented itself in the younger generation of soul masters.

Honestly speaking, it was impossible for Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong to become Transcendent Douluo any time soon. However, there was still something special about them! Yesterday, all of the Sea God’s Pavillion’s elders had been astonished by the strength of their unleashed fusion skills.

 

With their strength, how acute were their senses? The instant that each skill was unleashed, they’d been able to clearly sense that both Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong’s abilities had increased to the point that it left all of them shocked. This was definitely not something normally achievable by an eight- ringed Soul Douluo!

Both Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong were extremely talented. Furthermore, their fusion skills were the foundation for miracles.

As a result of this, the academy had considered their options, before deciding that they would do everything in their power to help the pair improve their abilities. They would be the key to dealing with the Holy Ghost Church in the near future.

Naturally, Huo Yuhao didn’t know the elder’s intentions. To him, Yan Shaozhe was simply here present to test their fighting strength. Of course, this was also part of the elder’s plans.

The aura released by their fusion skills was one thing, but the strength they contained was another. With sufficient pressure, they would either collapse, or demonstrate an even greater level of strength.

Every single elder of Shrek Academy was a research expert with many years of teaching experience. They all wanted to see just how much Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong would improve from this fight, as well as how much help they could offer to the pair.

Tang Wutong nodded at Huo Yuhao. Her gaze became sharper, and her strong belief flowed through his body alongside their Haodong Power. The name of this belief was ‘victory’!i

Even though she knew how difficult such a feat would be, she was still determined to win. This was one of the qualities that a truly strong individual should possess.

Tang Wutong and Huo Yuhao had rekindled their knowledge of one another. She wasn’t just his girlfriend, but his teammate and partner as well. Once, they’d fought side-by-side not long after entering the academy. Ten years later, today, they were still side-by-side, yet they now had the ability to challenge the Dean of Shrek’s Martial Soul Department. How could they not be excited?

 

Once he sensed Tang Wutong’s strong fighting intent, Huo Yuhao’s initially depressed emotions were wiped away. I’ve already promised to protect her. Since she’s so intent on winning, how could I cower away?

He rapidly circulated his soul power and interlinked it with Tang Wutong’s, their Haodong Power fusing once agian.

He discovered that a part of Tang Wutong’s soul power had been filtered out, and that this portion was contained within the sunray pattern of the golden trident on her forehead. Without that portion of her soul power, she was like the old Wang Dong’er; her martial soul was still the Radiant Butterfly Goddess.

Huo Yuhao didn’t have any idea what that portion of her strength was. However, it was evident that it was of a higher standard than his own soul power.

Initially, their martial souls hadn’t been able to fuse due to this portion of her soul power. This had been why there’d been so many misunderstandings.

 

Huo Yuhao knew that Tang Wutong’s fighting strength would be somewhat affected if she didn’t use that portion of her soul power. However, this was two-sided, as it also meant that their Haodong Power could finally fuse. This was also what they were relying on to challenge Yan Shaozhe.

Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong looked at each other, before nodding. A strong aura emerged from both of them, while the will to win appeared in both of their eyes as they grasped each other’s hand. Currently, the feeling that they gave off was as if they were both the same entity.

When he sensed the strong fighting intent coming from them, Yan Shaozhe nodded and smiled. “Very good. Let’s head to the practice arena. Just do your best.”

Everyone followed Yan Shaozhe to the practice arena, which turned out to be the same place that Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong had been at together yesterday.

Besides the three of them, everyone else stood around the perimeter. Meanwhile, a few of the elders—led by Elder Xuan— set up restrictions around the arena. Soon afterwards, a giant barrier engulfed the arena.

This practice arena had been constructed atop a mountain. When the restrictions were finished being constructed, they appeared very striking. The dim yellow glow of the barrier engulfed the entirety of the mountain-top.

Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong held each other’s hand as they stood opposite Yan Shaozhe. Their soul power interlinked as it flowed, and their Haodong Power surged.

Huo Yuhao’s physical strength exceeded others of the same rank, even after he’d gained his eighth soul ring. With the Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence, Life’s Gold, and the dragon pill that Long Xiaoyao had given him, he wasn’t affected much despite how vigorous their Haodong Power was.

Right now, Huo Yuhao simply felt like the soul power inside of him was surging. At times, it felt like whirlpools would appear. His purely fluid soul power was extremely pure; in fact, there were no impurities in it at all.

When such strong soul power flowed into Tang Wutong’s body, she didn’t seem to feel uncomfortable at all either. Evidently, she was also strong enough to handle it.

Their soul powers were completely compatible. The fusion of their fighting strength was more than them just adding their fighting strength together.

Their auras quickly rose, after which their strong fighting intent surged towards Yan Shaozhe and suppressed him.

Yan Shaozhe smiled, and his body exuded a golden glow. Suddenly, the air within ten square meters of him started to ripple; it was as if was being baked by a strong fire. Under such a situation, Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong’s immense fighting intent couldn’t directly locate Yan Shaozhe’s body, and could only remain suspended in the air.

“Come, little juniors. Show me how strong you two can get once  you’ve  fused  your  martial  souls.”  Yan  Shaozhe’s  voice echoed. Following this, a sonorous phoenix roar shook the sky, and an aura that had been repressed earlier was suddenly unleashed. A strong intent suddenly collided with Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong’s fighting intent.

Suddenly, the air of the practice arena became extremely violent. Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong’s clothes creaked as they

 

were blown about, but neither retreated. Huo Yuhao released a golden glow from his body, while a blue glow emerged from Tang Wutong’s. The two glows then intersected and fused with one another, before spreading outwards and disintegrating the strong intent that Yan Shaozhe had unleashed.

Elder Xuan and the others from Shrek nodded slightly when they saw this.

After fusing their martial souls, Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong were already as strong a Titled Douluo. Furthermore, they weren’t simply as strong as a normal Titled Douluo. Else, they wouldn’t have been able to hold their ground against a Rank 97 Transcendent Douluo.

Promising talents, promising talents! If they both become Titled Douluo in the future, they might just stand a chance against an Ultimate Douluo together.

Elder Xuan nodded in satisfaction after he thought this. Next up, it was time to see how effective their skills were in a real fight. Under sufficient pressure, their fighting strength would definitely be fully unleashed.

 

Huo Yuhao was the first to make a move, as a rose-gold vertical eye slowly opened on his forehead. When facing someone like Yan Shaozhe, how could he afford to hold back? He’d immediately decided to use his strongest ability, the Eye of Destiny.

As his Eye of Destiny opened, a strong light flashed, and layers of blinding light filled the air. Afterwards, the circulation of all energy bodies around him seemed to slow down, and both Tang Wutong and his body’s started to become illusory.

This was his Spiritual Interference Domain.

Not only that, but Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Detection engulfed the entire practice arena like a web, and he shared it with Tang Wutong.

Given his current spiritual prowess, and the small range he was focusing on, he was able to see everything in the practice arena in minute detail.

 

Even though Yan Shaozhe had concealed himself, Huo Yuhao was able to immediately locate him the moment that he fully unleashed his Spiritual Detection.

His spiritual power was already at the standard for a Titled Douluo. Furthermore, only a spiritual-type Titled Douluo could compare to him in terms of spiritual power, as his spiritual power had reached the concrete-material realm.

Seven soul rings shone from his body, while eight flashed from Tang Wutong’s.

Since only seven soul rings were present, it meant that Huo Yuhao was currently using his Spirit Eyes, rather than that his eight-ringed Ice Jade Empress Scorpion.

His fourth soul ring flashed, after which a whirlpool-shaped glow appeared above Yan Shaozhe. It was Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Confusion.

Huo Yuhao had long ago thought of a fighting strategy for Yan Shaozhe: If he wanted to overcome him and emerge victorious, his only option was to take the initiative. Only

 

through assaulting and controlling Yan Shaozhe could he prevent this Rank 97 Transcendent Douluo from unleashing his full abilities. They would only stand a chance if that happened.

That was why Huo Yuhao had immediately used his Spiritual Interference Domain to protect Tang Wutong and himself initially. Afterwards, he’d used his Spiritual Confusion to overpower Yan Shaozhe and control him.

His Spiritual Confusion was a single-target control-type soul skill. While it was only his Spirit Eyes’ fourth soul skill, it was the strongest and most effective soul skill he had when it came to controlling a single person.

Yan Shaozhe’s body turned slightly rigid when he was struck by Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Confusion, and a slightly lost look appeared in his eyes for an instant.

At that moment, Huo Yuhao’s vertical eye lit up, and a blinding, rose-gold light shot out. This time, it was his Spiritual Shock.

 

The Spiritual Shock from his Eye of Destiny might not be as strong as it was when he was in his Martial Soul True Body, but it could be used quickly. There was no accumulation needed.

However, Huo Yuhao didn’t expect Yan Shaozhe to suddenly take half a step forwards despite suffering from his Spiritual Confusion. Afterwards, his body turned entirely golden, and a golden phoenix opened its wings behind him. Yan Shaozhe seemed to have safely entered his own world.

When Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Shock struck him, Huo Yuhao felt as if his attack had struck nothing but air. At the same time, though, it didn’t quite feel as if the air it had struck was completely empty. However, the full strength of his Spiritual Shock wasn’t completely unleashed due to this.

It was the first time that Huo Yuhao had seen something like this. He’d only seen Yan Shaozhe exude a golden ring of light from his body, before returning to normal, despite his body being in a momentary state of shock.

This was…

 

This was Yan Shaozhe’s realm. It was similar to Elder Mu’s Sovereign’s Descent. However, Yan Shaozhe’s realm wasn’t the same as Sovereign’s Descent. Yan Shaozhe’s own understanding was blended into it, something that belonged solely to him.

How could the chief disciple of the Dragon God Douluo Mu En be so easily defeated? Huo Yuhao’s immense Spiritual Shock had been blocked, just like that! Huo Yuhao was the one left somewhat shocked instead.

However, Huo Yuhao wasn’t the only one who’d attacked.

Tang Wutong had made her move, too.

The Radiant Butterfly Goddess’ wings opened up behind her back as her soul rings rose. When Huo Yuhao used his Spiritual Shock, Tang Wutong had mimed a lifting action. Afterwards, a golden Hexagram Array had accurately appeared beneath Yan Shaozhe’s feet.

Tang Wutong had calculated everything precisely. Even if Yan SHaozhe managed to block Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Shock, he’d still be affected by it and the Spiritual Confusion he’d

 

previously been struck with. He wouldn’t be able to avoid her Hexagram Array then.

Even though the part of her memory that belonged to Wang Dong’er had only been restored for a short period of time, her coordination with Huo Yuhao seemed to come extremely naturally. Whenever their Haodong Power re-appeared, their chemistry re-appeared alongside it.

Just as Tang Wutong had expected, Yan Shaozhe wasn’t completely fine despite managing to resist Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Shock. When the intense golden light from the Hexagram Array engulfed his body, he wasn’t able to escape from the spot he was standing at.

Huo Yuhao’s sixth soul ring suddenly lit up as he did so. At the same time, the vertical eye on his forehead instantly changed from rose-gold to black and white.

Even Elder Xuan and those sitting outside of the arena shuddered when they saw this black and white vertical eye.

 

A sense of crisis almost instantly appeared in everyone’s heads.

What soul skill was this?!

Everyone from Shrek Academy was already very clear in regards to Huo Yuhao’s abilities. They knew that he was strong, but they didn’t know that he could unleash a skill capable of making everyone present feel as if they were in a crisis.

Chapter 512: The Three Ultimate Haodong Skills

What kind of soul skill is that, that it can do this?!

Of course, Huo Yuhao wouldn’t answer that. However, when his soul ring lit up, Tang Wutong was momentarily taken aback as she held his hand, and she subconsciously turned around to stare at him. A complicated look flashed through her eyes.

There were some disconnected memories in her mind, besides those that belong to Wang Dong’er, her childhood, and what happened afterwards; those pieces belonged to Wang Qiu’er. Currently, Huo Yuhao was using the soul skills that Wang Qiu’er had bestowed upon him, Spiritual Dispossession and Destiny’s Demise.

A black and white beam of light suddenly struck out across the sky, instantly striking Yan Shaozhe, who’d been hit with the Hexagon Array.

 

Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong were the only ones who could see this black and white beam. The only thing the people spectating their battle could see was his Eye of Destiny, which had turned black and white, flashing faintly, and the air around them contorting slightly.

Yan Shaozhe felt chills run down his spine, while goosebumps broke out all over his body as a cold that chilled him to the bone coursed through his body. He was a Transcendent Douluo, and his senses were extremely sensitive; such a sinister change gave him a rude shock!

What kind of power was that?! It didn’t contain any offensive effects, but why does it make me feel so alarmed?

Tang Wutong used her next soul skill immediately after Huo Yuhao was finished.

Her second soul ring flickered, after which all the golden spots on her wings unleashed spheres of golden lights that blasted towards Yan Shaozhe.

 

Yan Shaozhe was surrounded by intense golden flames at this moment, and stepped out of her Hexagon Array. It was extremely difficult for Tang Wutong to hurt him with her soul skills considering the difference in their strength.

Yan Shaozhe waved his right hand through the air, and a strange layer of golden light blanketed the sky. Tang Wutong’s Light of the Butterfly Goddess disappeared into nothingness. However, the sense of danger that had given him goosebumps before was still present.

What was that, exactly? Strong doubts surfaced in his mind, but he didn’t dare to hold back due to the sense of danger he felt. He took another step back and punched out towards Huo Yuhao.

It appeared that he was just simply throwing a punch through the air, but the entire Sparring Arena changed intensely as this punch charged forwards. At least, that was what Huo Yuhao could sense.

Huo Yuhao felt as if the space surrounding the punch had collapsed. Formidable restrictive forces pressed down on him from all directions, and squeezed him so hard that he almost

 

couldn’t breathe. This was clearly just a punch through the air, but he felt like the fist had appeared in front of him in an instant, and it was akin to an enormous, majestic mountain hurtling towards him in an unstoppable manner.

This wasn’t a soul skill. Rather, it was Yan Shaozhe’s self- invented skill; a perfectly fused and formidable soul skill where he’d combined all the energies and forces within his body.

Huo Yuhao almost subconsciously wanted to use his Three Ultimate Haodong Skills. Of his self-invented soul skills, he rarely used the Goddess of Light, as it wasn’t as formidable as his Three Ultimate Haodong Skills. Furthermore, using the Goddess of Light after Dong’er vanished would immediately trigger his yearning for her.

However, the moment he attempted to focus and unleash his Three Ultimate Haodong skills, his entire being froze a little.

A long time had passed since he’d invented his Three Ultimate Haodong Skills, thus he was extremely familiar with how they were used. He could perfectly fuse his emotions, soul power, and spiritual power to attain powerful effects.

 

Theoretically, his Three Ultimate Haodong Skills should become even stronger with Haodong Power supporting him. However, when he attempted to unleash them, he realized with a sense of shock that he couldn’t use them anymore. This was a matter of ability; he simply couldn’t reach the emotional state required anymore.

The Three Ultimate Haodong Skills were The Fist of Remembrance, which contained a feeling of resurgence; The Sword of Longing, which would never be forgotten; and finally, The Haodong Palm, which would last for eternity. Every strike was based on, and completed, through his intense thoughts and yearning for Dong’er.

Huo Yuhao had to first channel intense longing for Dong’er when he used his Three Ultimate Haodong Skills before he could unleash them naturally.

But at this moment, Tang Wutong, who was also Wang Dong’er, was right next to him. With his lover right beside him, how could there be any longing? Just as he’d considered back then, his Three Ultimate Haodong Skills had become ineffective now that he’d found Dong’er again. Reality had proved his hypothesis, and he found that he could no longer use his Three Ultimate Haodong Skills.

That moment of hesitation was enough for Yan Shaozhe’s attack to arrive in front of him.

Tang Wutong and Huo Yuhao had fused their soul power, thus the two of them were acting as one. As such, Tang Wutong was the first to realize that something was wrong with Huo Yuhao.

She basically didn’t hesitate to take a step forwards and block for him. She raised her right hand over her head, and her eighth soul ring flashed.

Her entire body began to glow along side the light of her blood-red soul ring. She began to radiate a brilliant gold that carried circle after circle of bluish hues. She was like a small sun, with countless blue butterflies waltzing around her.

Intense bluish-gold colors transformed into an enormous pillar of light that met Yan Shaozhe’s fist.

When they met, an intense explosion occurred, making the entire Sparring Arena tremble. The various Elders who were

 

maintaining the protective dome had to inject more power into it in order to ensure that they blocked all of the explosive soul power undulations inside.

Yan Shaozhe emerged from the explosion, while Tang Wutong stumbled backwards and fell into Huo Yuhao’s embrace.

The absolute gap in their strength had caused all the color to drain from her pretty face. Even though she hadn’t been heavily injured, the soul power in her body had been riled up, and ripples from their Haodong Power meant she and Huo Yuhao could feel their blood surging.

Meanwhile, a look of surprise had appeared in Yan Shaozhe’s eyes. Tang Wutong’s attack hadn’t been that simple. Even though he’d gained the upper hand, Yan Shaozhe could still feel his soul power trembling after clashing with her. He had to expend quite a bit of spiritual power to get his soul power back under control.

That concussive power…

 

Yan Shaozhe was the Dean of Shrek Academy’s Martial Soul Department, and had spent his entire life investigating different kinds of soul skills. He could immediately tell what was so frightening about the soul skill that Tang Wutong had just used.

If it wasn’t for his absolute advantage in terms of cultivation, and the fact that Tang Wutong didn’t seem very familiar with this soul skill, the outcome could’ve been quite different...

Yan Shaozhe was a Rank 97 Transcendent Douluo, while Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong could only barely reach Rank 90 with their Haodong Power. However, because their martial souls were very powerful, and because there were two of them, their ‘Rank 90’ was more formidable than typical Titled Douluo.

But in the end, the gap between them was just too large. There was an insurmountable gap between a Titled Douluo and a Transcendent Douluo!

If both parties had the same level of soul power, of if Tang Wutong had gained the upper hand, then the soul skill that she had just used would have been extremely terrifying with its full strength unleashed.

It had a high temperature, it contained the element of light, and it was very powerful. These three different elements were then combined, their degree of fusion comparable to that of a self-invented soul skill.

Yan Shaozhe seemed like he’d defended against the attack easily. However, the truth was, while he was very powerful, he was also adept with the element of light. His Radiant Phoenix possessed light and heat as two of its most salient characteristics, thus he had a natural resistance when defending against Tang Wutong’s attack. But what if someone else had been her opponent? The situation would probably have had an entirely different outcome.

She fell gently, but Huo Yuhao felt an intense heartache. Tang Wutong had forcibly taken this hit for him because of his error, so how could he not be upset with himself for his mistake?

Huo Yuhao subconsciously wrapped his arms around Tang Wutong’s slim waist, his three eyes simultaneously bursting with light. His will to fight had truly been ignited.

 

Huo Yuhao took a deep breath, before grabbing Tang Wutong with one hand, and slowly raised his other. His seven soul rings suddenly became eight, and an intense blizzard rapidly descended upon the Sparring Arena.

The temperature of the arena fell to an extremely low degree almost instantaneously, and Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong disappeared within the blizzard.

The Snow Empress’ Three Ultimate Techniques: The Empress’ Sword, The Empress’ Palm, and The Empress’ Chill. This was a fusion of The Empress’ Chill and his Domain of Perpetual Ice into his Snowy Dance of Ultimate Ice.

After absorbing the Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence, the temperatures that Huo Yuhao’s Ultimate Ice could reach were much more terrifying than before.

Su Tong’s martial soul was an Icesky Snow Lady, and was also a martial soul with Ultimate Ice, but she was still a far cry from Huo Yuhao in terms of how cold she could make her Ultimate Ice. It was why she’d immediately admitted defeat after seeing Huo Yuhao freeze the entire surface of the Sea God’s Lake.

A temperature more than two hundred degrees below zero permeated the entire Sparring Arena almost instantly, and even Yan Shaozhe shivered, despite his cultivation.

The advantage that Ultimate martial souls held became increasingly obvious as their cultivation increased. Yan Shaozhe’s martial was the Radiant Phoenix, and was adept with both light and fire. At the very least, Huo Yuhao’s Ultimate Ice could counter his element of fire.

No matter how profound or wild his Radiant Phoenix martial was, the flames that his martial soul granted him contained the Fire of Light, not Ultimate Fire. As such, he didn’t have an advantage against Huo Yuhao’s Ultimate Ice.

Yan Shaozhe’s grew serious for the first time; he could feel that Huo Yuhao was fully concentrated at this point.

Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t be afraid of Huo Yuhao, who was still a child in his eyes. However, that feeling of danger from before still hadn’t disappeared and seemed to be plaguing him. This made him a little more careful, as the unknown was the most frightening.

Blazing phoenix flames erupted out from Yan Shaozhe. What he wanted to do was very simple.

In Shrek Academy’s lessons about soul master battles, there was a class about advantage. The first thing that soul masters had to do when battling each other was unleash their respective strengths and advantages as much as possible to suppress their opponent. What was Yan Shaozhe’s greatest advantage against Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong? His soul power! There was an insurmountable gap in their ranks of soul power!

Therefore, even though he knew that his element was disadvantageous, he still chose to use his overwhelming strength without hesitation. As a Rank 97 Transcendent Douluo, he relied on the strength of his soul power to instantly expand his Radiant Phoenix’s flames.

The Sparring Arena was only so big; as a Transcendent Douluo, he was entirely capable of covering it completely in his phoenix flames. When that happened, Huo Yuhao would naturally no longer be able to keep his domain up, and thus would be forced into the open. Furthermore, Yan Shaozhe would be launching an all-round attack against him in the process.

But something astonished Yan Shaozhe as he attempted to do so: As his phoenix flames fanned outwards, he realized that they didn’t immediately melt the snowflakes dancing through the air when they came into contact with one another. In fact, not only were they melting slowly, but they were also emanating intense chills in the process, which was causing him to expend more energy on his phoenix flames that he’d calculated.

What’s happening?

Yan Shaozhe had already channeled more than sixty percent of his soul power, but his phoenix flames had only managed to extend five meters out from him. Furthermore, the more they continued to expand, the more snowflakes they encountered from Huo Yuhao’s Snowy Dance of Ultimate Ice, and the colder the chilly air released by those snowflakes got. Yan Shaozhe quickly realized that, to his surprise, he’d been suppressed, and that Huo Yuhao was actually using the quality of his soul power to suppress his own cultivation advantage.

How is this possible? Their martial soul fusion should only give them the strength of a newly minted Titled Douluo! How could his Ultimate Ice be so strong? Tang Wutong doesn’t possess any ice-type abilities!

If Yan Shaozhe could see Huo Yuhao’s current state, he would understand why he was at such a disadvantage.

The Star Anise Mysterious Ice Grass was swaying gently atop Huo Yuhao’s shoulder, while four other silhouettes floated behind him; all five of his Spirits were currently aiding him.

Of Huo Yuhao’s five great Spirits, the Skydream Iceworm possessed both ice-type abilities and spiritual power, while the other four all possessed Ultimate Ice!

When Huo Yuhao had fused with the Ice Bear King, Little Bai hadn’t just become his Spirit and soul ring; he’d also improved his Ultimate Ice’s quality once again.

According to the Snow Empress’ words, the lowest temperature that Huo Yuhao could reach with his Ultimate Ice was two hundred and twenty degrees below zero. This temperature was already equivalent to what the Ice Empress could reach when she was at full strength!

The Ice Empress had been ranked seventh among the Ten Great Savage beasts. Even though she hadn’t been equivalent to an Ultimate Douluo when she was at full strength, she hadn’t been that far off.

All five of his Spirits had appeared simultaneously. Even though they couldn’t boost his soul power with their amplifications, they could still boost his element as much as possible. Furthermore, Blizzard was the soul skill that the Ice

 

Bear King had bestowed Huo Yuhao with for his eighth soul ring.

Blizzard wasn’t just a normal soul skill when it was fused into his Snowy Dance of Ultimate Ice; it was considered a formidable integrated soul skill that could be further amplified by his Spirits. This was why it had managed to accomplish a certain level of suppression against even Yan Shaozhe’s Rank 97 Radiant Phoenix.

A faint smile gradually appeared on Yan Shaozhe’s face as he felt the pressure exuded on him. He nodded lightly and exclaimed, “Good, very good!”  After all, the more powerful Huo Yuhao was, the happier he was. This practice battle had originally been intended to figure out the exact extent of Huo Yuhao’s strength anyway.

After he finished speaking, Yan Shaozhe’s expressed suddenly became solemn. He placed one hand above the other, with his palms facing each other. The next moment, his entire body became completely golden, just like when he’d defended himself against Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Shock.

 

What was different this time was that gentle golden hues were emanating from his dantian, and a small yellow phoenix seemed to be frolicking in front of his dantian.

Once this little golden phoenix emerged, his phoenix flames, which had been initially suppressed, seemed to almost become material and liquify as they blazed outwards.

This time, any snowflakes that the golden liquid touched were immediately vaporized. The extremely high temperatures brought about by this golden liquid immediately dispelled the low temperatures brought about by Huo Yuhao’s Ultimate Ice, as well as immediately beat back his Snowy Dance of Ultimate Ice.

Receiving such a rude shock, Huo Yuhao had no choice but to withdraw his domain. He’d almost instantly realized that if were to continue maintaining his Snowy Dance of Ultimate Ice, that his soul power would be completely expended in a matter of seconds. And he was expending Haodong power, which didn’t solely belong to him!

Yan Shaozhe reappeared in front of them, before looking at Huo  Yuhao  and  nodding  gently  as  he  said,  “Little  junior

 

brother, your Ultimate Ice’s quality was quite impressive. What did you feel?”

Huo Yuhao was momentarily surprised, but his expression quickly changed somewhat as he blurted out, “You used a self- invented soul skill to augment your own soul skills and soul power?”

Yan Shaozhe smiled faintly and said, “Yes, this is a technique that I came up with some years ago and relied on to become Dean of the Martial Soul Department. You have to understand this a bit more: Even though soul tools are developing at a quickening pace in today’s world, there’s still boundless potential in soul masters that’s waiting to be discovered.”

“Yes,”  Huo Yuhao acknowledged respectfully. He knew that Yan Shaozhe was giving him guidance with his status as his elder senior brother.

Yan Shaozhe tilted his head and smiled. “You don’t have to be dejected. I used my soul core’s strength when I broke your domain just now. Your Ultimate Ice martial soul doesn’t yet have a soul core, nor is your soul’s quality as concentrated as mine. Furthermore, my self-invented soul skill augmented my

 

Radiant Phoenix’s flames and raised my soul skill’s quality instantaneously to achieve such an effect. Do you understand when I say it like this?”

A thought occurred to Huo Yuhao after hearing Yan Shaozhe’s words, and he seemed to understand something, yet at the same time wasn’t quite able to place what it was despite trying as hard as he could to puzzle it out.

Yan Shaozhe smiled. “Alright, that’s enough for today. We might not learn as much if we get greedy for more. I know that both you and Tang Wutong’s strengths haven’t been completely unleashed, but I hope that you two will improve even more during the next three years. The next time you two challenge me, I won’t show any mercy.”

“Thank you for fulfilling our wishes, eldest senior brother,” Huo Yuhao got down on his knees in front of Yan Shaozhe. Even though Yan Shaozhe hadn’t said much to them, what he had said and the battle they’d had were enough to benefit him greatly.

The person who was most capable of guiding and advising Huo Yuhao in Shrek Academy wasn’t Elder Xuan, but rather

 

Yan Shaozhe. The reason for that was because Yan Shaozhe could be considered to be of the same generation as Huo Yuhao, since they were both Elder Mu’s disciples. However, Yan Shaozhe had become Elder Mu’s disciple a lot earlier than Huo Yuhao had, so he had a much deeper understanding of Elder Mu’s abilities. Thus, Huo Yuhao needed some time to digest what he’d just learned from the battle they’d just fought.

Elder Xuan opened the protective dome and walked towards Yan Shaozhe with a faint smile on his face. “Why didn’t you give those two little fellows a little more pressure?”

Yan Shaozhe smiled back and said, “Sometimes, too much pressure isn’t a good thing. Yuhao doesn’t need pressure right now; he’s able to sense danger clearly as it is. He must’ve felt and learned a lot of things from our battle. Furthermore, and to be frank, I’m a little afraid of this kid. He gave me a good one, and I’m still not sure which one of his abilities gave me goosebumps; it gave me a strong sense of danger. Even if I was able to completely suppress him if we continued, I was afraid to be caught off guard, and that I’d end up losing.”

“Eh?” Elder Xuan stared at Yan Shaozhe, his expression changing to one of surprise. “You were afraid that you’d lose?”

 

Yan Shaozhe forced a smile as he said, “Yes! It’s not like I can hurt them, after all. And considering the fact that I couldn’t unleash any killing moves, I might actually be hurt if those two kids were to fight with their full strength. I don’t know what Yuhao used on me, but that sense of danger is still around, even now.”

Elder Xuan chuckled and said, “I felt it too. This kid is really quite different! He’s been standing on a whole different level ever since he broke through and obtained his eighth soul ring. What he needs most right now is more time to accumulate his strength. I just hope that he manages to grow up as quickly as possible.”

Yan Shaozhe continued, “I’m worried that we’re being counterproductive by forcing him to grow too quickly. Therefore, I’m not going to give them anymore pressure. Yuhao has managed to reach an extraordinary standard with his Ultimate Ice, and that probably has something to do with his Spirits. The temperature of his Ultimate Ice is also the strongest I’ve ever seen. At the very least, it’s never appeared before in the history of the academy. If I hadn’t used my Primordial Phoenix Flames, I might not have been able to touch him. I want to see the standard his Ultimate Ice soul power can reach after he obtains his soul core. From what I can tell, even without using his and Tang Wutong’s Haodong

 

Power, he should be able to give typical Titled Douluo a good fight.”

Elder Xuan nodded and said, “He should be able to grow up within three years. However… I’m not sure if the continent’s three native empires will be able to hold on that long.”

------

Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong immediately returned the Sea God’s Pavilion after they left. Just as Yan Shaozhe had predicted, they’d both had some revelations from the battle they’d just fought, and needed to internalize what they’d learnt as soon as possible. Furthermore, Huo Yuhao couldn’t use his Three Ultimate Haodong Skills anymore, which had quite an effect on him. He needed to make some adjustments to his fighting style, since he couldn’t use them anymore.

Fusing self-invented soul skills with those from soul rings was something entirely new to Huo Yuhao; it was something that Shrek Academy’s curriculum never even touched. Based on the abilities that Yan Shaozhe had just displayed, it was probably a technique that could only be cultivated by a Soul

 

Douluo, at the very least. Thus, this was the most suitable time for him to start learning about such a concept.

Huo Yuhao wasn’t the only one who’d had revelations; Tang Wutong was the same. They both went back to Huo Yuhao’s room and crossed their legs on the beds, placing their palms together. They channeled Haodong power as they cultivated.

This was the first time that they’d cultivated together since their martial soul fusion. Compared to before, their Haodong Power was much denser and vaster. Huo Yuhao immediately felt his soul power improving, as well as the Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence within his body being almost completely assimilated.

What Yan Shaozhe hadn’t known was that the main reason for his Ultimate Ice’s rapid rate of improvement and its temperature being so low was due to the Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence.

Huo Yuhao hadn’t unleashed his full strength during the practice battle, nor had he truly unleashed his Spirits, which also needed to be considered as part of his fighting strength.

Huo Yuhao’s Spirits were different from those of most soul masters. His Spirits’ consciousnesses had been stabilized through the Manifold Mysterious Ice Essence, thus they themselves possessed a certain level of strength. Once they were fully unleashed, they would be able to support and

 

complement one another. Plus, with the amount of experience that the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress had, they’d probably have been able to hold out a bit longer against Yan Shaozhe, even though they couldn’t possibly have defeated him.

Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong placed their palms against each other’s, after which their soul power rippled and undulated continuously within their bodies. Huo Yuhao’s soul power improved conspicuously with every circulation. Even though a soul master needed an immense amount of soul power to increase their cultivation rank by even a single rank after they became a Soul Douluo, Huo Yuhao still felt that he’d be able to reach the threshold of becoming a Titled Douluo during the next three years with his current cultivation speed! As someone who possessed an Ultimate martial soul, once he became a Titled Douluo, he’d have the strength to challenge a normal Transcendent Douluo by simply relying on his martial soul’s strength.

As time continued to pass, Huo Yuhao remained completely immersed in his revelations and realizations, his emotions incessantly rippling as he did so.

 

Tang Wutong is Dong’er, and she’s back by my side. Just that single thought gave Huo Yuhao a lot of emotional clarity. Even though he’d lost his Three Ultimate Haodong Skills in the process, he didn’t regret anything for even a second. What could bring him more joy or pleasant surprise than his lover returning to him?

But at the same time, he quickly realized how important emotions were for self-invented soul skills.

Emotions were considered to be a part of spiritual power, yet at the same time, they weren’t equivalent; they could be considered an inexplicable force with an abstruse origin. Back then, the most important reason behind his Three Ultimate Haodong Skills being so powerful was due to them containing his intense emotions. At the same time, the repercussions and residual effects brought about after using them also stemmed from his emotions.

Since emotions can increase the power of self-invented soul skills, does that mean that I can fuse my emotions into my other self-invented soul skills now that I’ve lost my Three Ultimate Haodong Skills?

 

The Goddess of Light was undoubtedly Huo Yuhao’s fundamental self-invented soul skill; the truth was that he’d adapted his Three Ultimate Haodong Skills from it. Thus, now that he couldn’t use them anymore, it seemed that he’d have to put more effort back into his Goddess of Light.

The emotions that his Three Ultimate Haodong Skills relied on were longing and yearning. Now that Wutong was back by his side, those feelings had to transform—but into what?

Love, yes, love is the answer.

This thought had barely surfaced in Huo Yuhao’s mind when he suddenly felt an intense quiver in his spiritual sea. In the next moment, the love in his heart immediately flooded towards Tang Wutong like a tidal wave.

Tang Wutong’s beautiful frame trembled a little in response. Her spiritual sea had originally been extremely messy and chaotic, as Wang Dong’er’s memory had only been awakened a short time ago, and she hadn’t yet managed to completely integrate the memories of her childhood. She felt her heart and body quiver intensely as she was stimulated by Huo Yuhao’s intense feelings of love, and a dash of rosiness

 

appeared on her cheeks as her lips gradually tilted into a faint smile.

These dense feelings of love surging into her mind were akin to the most potent natural treasures as they nourished her spiritual sea and supported the fusion of her memories.

Love was a notion for eternity—only love could truly last forever.

Whether she was Wang Dong’er or Tang Wutong didn’t matter—her name was only a label. Tang Wutong had insisted that she was Tang Wutong, rather than Wang Dong’er, because her memories hadn’t been completely fused yet. In her heart, she’d been a little afraid that her feelings towards Huo Yuhao weren’t genuine, which had caused her to have a little resistance towards him in her heart ever since recovering her memories.

But at this moment, as she was smothered in Huo Yuhao’s dense feelings, her memories began to fuse at an accelerated rate. Slowly, her entire being’s emotions began to change as she was continuously buffeted by his love.

 

Wang Dong’er’s originally deep-seated love for Huo Yuhao was guided out and took the driver’s seat, merging together with love that Huo Yuhao was emanating. Their Haodong Power quietly sublimated, while their love continued to ripple and undulate away from and because of that sublimation. They weren’t just fusing their martial souls anymore; their emotions and spirits were also fusing. This was the true meaning of coming together to become one.

When Huo Yuhao felt the reciprocated love coming from Tang Wutong, he was overjoyed. Love was a mutual feeling, thus only with mutual love could it continue to sublimate and evolve. At this moment, the type of love that Tang Wutong and Huo Yuhao were feeling was that type of sublimating love. Their overflowing emotions began to encircle their hearts and souls, and faint white halos appeared around their bodies. Gentle undulations could soon be seen as their bodies were cocooned in light.

Their soul power, spiritual power, and spirits were being rinsed and doused in their dense feelings of love. Slowly but surely, their soul power was changing, and the golden light from within the trident on Tang Wutong’s forehead began to circulate within her body. Strange transformations also began to happen to Huo Yuhao’s soul power and aura.

 

I love you, Dong’er. I love you, Wutong. Huo Yuhao’s voice was filled with love as it resonated within his mind.

Suddenly, Huo Yuhao felt his spirits be invigorated, and in the next moment felt his spiritual power seem to leave his body. He’d experienced a similar feeling before, but that was when he’d channeled his spiritual power out of his body. Now that his spiritual power was in the concrete-material realm, his spiritual power leaving his body along with his spirit didn’t mean anything was wrong.

But this time seemed different. Huo Yuhao studied himself closely, only to realize to his astonishment that it wasn’t his spiritual power that was leaving his body. Instead, it was his own, actual spirit leaving his body! Yes, just his spirit, without any spiritual power accompanying it!

Human spirits were extremely weak; once they left one’s body, they would continuously dissipate. The moment that he realized his spirit was leaving his body, he quickly realized that there was also a faint white layer surrounding his spirit that seemed to be protecting it from dissipating.

 

With his spirit currently in midair, Huo Yuhao could see Tang Wutong and himself with their palms pressed against each other’s, cultivating. Gentle white light surrounded their bodies, and Huo Yuhao could still vividly feel their sublimating soul power, spiritual power, and emotions, despite currently looking down at himself.

What’s happening? Why has my spirit left my body by itself? Huo Yuhao attempted to control himself and return to his body, but he realized to his surprise that he couldn’t make his spirit move at all.

At the next moment, some kind of strange force appeared in the ether than instantly pulled his spirit out of the Sea God’s Pavilion. Once his spirit exited the Golden Tree, it began to rise into the sky.

The sun was radiant outside, and shone down upon the entire Shrek Academy, but a shred of panic still appeared in Huo Yuhao’s mind. This was the first time that he’d come across such a strange situation; he had no idea what was going to happen.

 

His spirit had left his body, and was continuously rising through the air. It wasn’t a great feeling; Huo Yuhao could feel himself getting further and further away from his own body. Even though his senses were still connected, he couldn’t control his spirit’s movements in the sky at all!

Why is this happening? What’s happening to me? Huo Yuhao couldn’t find the answer, intense fear and panic beginning to permeate his mind.

He had been through so much to get Tang Wutong back at his side, yet his spirit had still left his body in such a strange fashion. What exactly is happening? What’s happened?! No, I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to leave Wutong, I still have to protect and love her!

Intense fear and panic caused a wave of acute emotional ripples to spread from his spirit, as he tried to struggle out of the restraints binding his movements.

Right at that moment, a gentle aura suddenly enveloped his spirit. This aura was extremely strange, as there seemed to be an immense amount of pure emotions undulating within it. After it appeared, Huo Yuhao felt an incredibly comfortable

 

feeling course through his spirit, as if he’d been immersed in warm spring water. This nourishing feeling made him so comfortable that he wanted to moan, all traces of panic, fear, and negative emotions disappearing without a trace. Instead, small feelings of comfort and trust had appeared.

What exactly is happening?

Huo Yuhao was extremely intelligent; if he couldn’t at least make a guess about his situation, then he wouldn’t be Huo Yuhao. The aura filled with comfort that had nourished his spirit had immediately made him realize that his spirit leaving his body wasn’t because of his own cultivation; rather, some external power had forcibly pulled his spirit from his body.

All the negative feelings in his spirit had been washed away, thus all that was left was complete astonishment.

What kind of strength could forcibly pull my spirit out of my body? Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power had already reached the concrete-material realm. Furthermore, he also had Wang Qiu’er’s Destiny Skull and its skill Destiny’s Adjudication, which granted him immunity to three spiritual-type attacks per day.

Back then, the Evileye Tyrant King hadn’t been able to kill Huo Yuhao with its incredibly powerful attack because he’d used Destiny’s Adjudication to escape with his life. However, this force that was currently controlling his spirit had rendered him unable to resist at all. How powerful would his opponent have to be to achieve this?

Even though Huo Yuhao wasn’t sure why this was happening, he could feel that whoever was doing this to him had to be an extremely powerful individual who didn’t harbor any ill intentions against him. Else, that person wouldn’t have placated his negative emotions.

Chapter 513: Godly Seat! Realm of the Gods!

Unless this is the work of an Ultimate Douluo who has hidden himself from the prying eyes of the public? And it can’t be just any Ultimate Douluo! He or she must be a spiritual-type Ultimate Douluo whose power far exceeds that of the Darkness Holy Dragon and the Death God Douluo! This is the only possible explanation! In fact, this Ultimate Douluo could very well be more powerful than the Beast God... If not, why would the Beast God fail to protect me when I possess his reverse scale? There can only be one answer: the Beast God is not aware of this.

“Young fellow, stop guessing. Your guesses are all wrong.” Huo Yuhao heard a gentle voice from afar. Following which, he felt his senses turned inside out as everything that his soul could sense spiraled into a chaotic mess. He could feel a formless force transforming his surroundings into radiant colors before the colors started to pale into black and white.

The black and white alternated continuously between one another as Huo Yuhao found himself morphing between countless forms. But regardless of how the external world

 

changed, Huo Yuhao managed to keep his soul intact and out of harm’s way.

He managed to dispel all distractions from his mind and return to a calm state of mind by focusing on his spiritual energy and retaining it. After a temporary shock, he was able to collect himself. But he knew very well that regardless of what this external force was, it was not something that he could fend off. Hence, he knew there wasn’t much point going against someone who was a lot more powerful than him, so chose to sit and wait for that person’s next move. After all, they didn’t seem to bear any malevolent intentions. He or she had merely abducted his soul. Since I can’t figure out what you are up to, all I can do is wait.

While it was only a short while, it felt like an eternity. His surroundings suddenly turned clear, and much to his surprise, Huo Yuhao found himself regaining control over his soul.

He was in was a mountain valley—a valley which did not seem to be particularly unique. It was filled with blooming flowers, as well as grass and trees which seemed to be radiating vitality. The tall, majestic trees spread their branches and leaves to form a shady canopy. Up above the valley in the sky, rainbow clouds floated by from time to time.

Huo Yuhao had regained his human shape; but he was currently in his spiritual form. The only perception he had of the external world could only be described as “comfortable”.

At this very moment, a peculiar thought formed in his head. How wonderful would it be if I could breathe in all the fresh air within this valley… The air in this valley must be very refreshing… It must be filled with the natural qi of heaven and earth!

He found himself edging towards the depths of the valley subconsciously, and a pebbled path soon appeared before his feet. The path, which was sandwiched by the different flora beside it, extended into the depths of the valley. With the experience he had, Huo Yuhao was able to identify many treasured herbs and spices. However, there were still so many plants which he could not recognize. Every single one of them seemed to be brimming with spiritual energy.

The winding path continued straight into the center of the valley. Huo Yuhao continued his walk for over ten minutes until the sight before his eyes transformed abruptly. A pavilion had appeared before his eyes.

 

Huo Yuhao could see two people sitting within the pavilion. There was a good-looking young man on the left who looked approximately twenty-seven years old. His long golden hair covered his shoulders as he exuded an all-encompassing Buddhist aura.

There was an old man sitting opposite him. The old man’s head was covered with snow-white hair, and his looks could not be plainer. However, he did not seem to possess the fatigue and soulless vibes which plagued most elderly people. Both of them did not seem to radiate any fluctuations of spiritual energy, and appeared to be engrossed in their game of chess.

Huo Yuhao knew nothing about chess, but he was certain that the two people before him were the ones who had connected his soul to this heaven-like place.

Even though he didn’t know where this place was, he had already calmed himself down after being brought here. Huo Yuhao made his way to the pavilion slowly, and stopped by the chessboard. He stood there quietly and observed their game.

Even though Huo Yuhao didn’t know how to play chess, he knew that one should not speak while watching a game of

 

chess. Not disturbing someone else’s game was a matter of manners and being polite.

This game of chess appeared to be ending soon. The old man’s brows were locked in a frown for an extended period of time before he moved his chess piece hesitantly. Conversely, the young man reacted very quickly and confidently, as though everything was going according to his calculations.

“Teacher, you have lost your composure. I’m afraid there’s no  chance  of  you  beating  me  anymore,”  the  golden-haired young man smiled.

The old man scolded laughingly, “You little brat! Since we started playing chess, you have never given me a chance to win. Sometimes, I regret training and guiding you for all those years!”

The young man revealed a smile. “Alright. Come on! Don’t be angry! How about this? I’ll prepare our lunch for today.”

The old man was visibly excited by the prospect of the young man’s suggestion as he replied, “Really?!”

The young man nodded and reassured the old man, “Cooking has always been an interest of mine! Why would I lie to you when you were the one who taught me how to cook?”

The old man seemed to be very pleased as he surrendered the chess game and spoke, “Okay okay! I surrender! Now go and prepare lunch for us!”

The young man with the golden hair nodded and said, “Okay.

Could you put the chess pieces away for me?”

“Alright.” The old man waved his hand, and before anyone could see how he did it, the chess pieces floated naturally and separated themselves into clusters of black and white before returning to the boxes beside the chess board.

Huo Yuhao was shocked by what he had just witnessed. The old man was able to move those pieces without giving away any fluctuation in his power!

The young man with the golden hair stood up and stretched before heading to the other end of the pavilion. As he walked

 

over there, he waved his hand at Huo Yuhao before saying, “Come and join us, little friend.”

Previously, when the young man was talking to the old man, Huo Yuhao didn’t sense anything wrong or unnatural with the way he spoke. But now that he was speaking to Huo Yuhao, he found to his surprise that the young man’s voice was exactly the same as the voice he had heard after his soul was sucked out of his body. Is he the powerful guy who brought me here?

However, there was no way he could turn the young man down at this moment. Thus, Huo Yuhao acknowledged the man’s invitation and went after him.

The old man remained seated where he was as his face revealed a smile. He muttered to himself, “It seems like that little brat has also had moments when his emotions waver. If not, why would you be so anxious? But I must say your decision is quite unexpected… In fact, it is borderline insane! This is literally snatching one’s prey from the jaws of a tiger, isn’t it? But I must say I like it.”

Huo Yuhao followed the young man with the golden hair to the other end of the pavilion, and noticed a small courtyard

 

not too far from it. The entire courtyard was made from wood, and there were a few children playing around in it. There was a beautiful lady dressed in a red dress taking care of the children. Not too far from them, another beautiful lady dressed in blue was eating something. All of them seemed to be very blissful.

This was obviously a family who was happily residing in a paradise away from the prying eyes of normal people. Huo Yuhao suddenly felt envious of what he saw, even though he wasn’t sure why he was feeling that way. When can I form a family with Wutong and live in a paradise like this? That would be so great… We would have a few children, and live happily ever after.

The young man with the golden hair smiled and asked, “Are you very envious of what you’re seeing?”

Huo Yuhao nodded without hesitation.

The young man smiled awkwardly. “Actually, if anyone were to lead such a life for an extended period of time, he or she would most definitely feel lonely. I have multiple wives, but they’re often not around me. Only the two of them—the ones

 

before you—stayed to accompany me. The rest of them left to go out and play, and I don’t know when they’ll return.”

“Multiple wives?”  Huo Yuhao had not expected the young man to share this with him. He could not help but shake his head  and  reply,  “Isn’t  one  wife  enough  already?  The  more partners one has, the likelier it is for people to part ways.”

The young man squeezed out a smile and replied, “What you said makes sense. However, sometimes, it is not up to one to make that decision. Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. We’re going to prepare lunch now. It’s not easy keeping this huge group of people happy and full everyday!”

As he spoke, he led Huo Yuhao into a room within the courtyard. It was almost as if the two beautiful ladies and the children did not see them at all. They merely continued with what they were doing.

The young man led Huo Yuhao into what seemed to be a kitchen. From outside the kitchen, it did not seem to be particularly big. But after entering the room, Huo Yuhao found much to his surprise that it was much larger than it seems. It was at least a hundred square meters. All the ingredients were

 

placed in an organized manner in a certain area within the kitchen, while another area was reserved for the actual cooking process.

The young man instructed, “You can just stand here and watch. How much you would learn will depend on how much you can infer and absorb.” As he finished his sentence, he made his way to the chopping area.

At that very instant, Huo Yuhao could sense a change within the young man. His breathing suddenly become slightly labored as a strong wave of pressure suffocated Huo Yuhao’s soul.

Following which, the young man made his move. As he moved his right hand gently, his index and middle fingers extended into a small cloth bag next to the chopping board, and withdrew a small knife. The knife emerged from the bag with a reflective flash. It was less than five inches long, and its tip appeared to be very delicate. The blade and the handle appeared to be equal in length. The blade seemed to be exuding a Mayan blue flash, and there was also a scary-looking carving on the side of it.

 

He waved his left hand and produced a huge empty plate before him effortlessly. At the same time, nine similar-looking cucumbers flew towards him.

Is he actually cooking? But why would he use such a small knife? That knife is even smaller than the carving knife I use to make soul tools…

Huo Yuhao continued watching with many questions in his head.

The young man suddenly muttered in a melodic way, “Startling changes begin where the masterful hand lands. Carving strokes ripple through the masterpiece a hundred times. This ancient art shall outlast eternity. The raised knife, like a crescent moon, will illuminate the cold spring.” A Mayan bluish glow—the knife—revolved around the plate at a rate which made it hard for anyone to make out its shape. Even though it was hard to follow the movement of the knife, Huo Yuhao could make out the carvings on the cucumbers, which were made with every syllable the young man muttered. Green pieces of cucumber skin were ejected by the knife as they drifted and fell to the side. After the last syllable was uttered, a total of two hundred and sixty-one cuts had been delivered. A circle of cucumber skin fell neatly around the plate, forming a perfect circular pattern of black and green stripes. The size of the skin fragments were all exactly the same. But what was most astounding was the carving that lay above the circle of skin fragments.

Nine jade-like dragon carvings carved out of cucumber stood proudly at the center of the plate. The carvings were delicate, and possessed beautiful features like the horns, the whiskers and the pearls of a dragon.

The amount of skill required to pull this off was just… unbelievable!

Huo Yuhao couldn’t believe his eyes. It was the first time he had ever witnessed such remarkable knife-handling skills. This was beyond any mere carving act—this was the creation of a masterpiece. Huo Yuhao was extremely skilled at creating soul tools, and had spent plenty of time mastering the art of carving. However, all his work was done according to diagrams and instructions. What he had just witnessed was art infused with creativity, and that was simply breathtaking.

The young man with the golden hair stole a glance at Huo Yuhao, and revealed a smile. He extended his left hand and waved it. This act sent the huge plate into the air. There was a dense layer of cloud which appeared to be holding the plate in midair. The cloud gave off a cold aura which was not particularly intense.

As the young man swept his left hand horizontally, the plate began to spin at an unbelievable speed.

 

Whenever the bottoms of the cucumbers spun before his eyes, the Mayan bluish glow—the knife—would flicker. After three rounds or so, even though Huo Yuhao had long lost count of how many cuts the knife had made, the young man’s hand appeared to have only budged a bit. More green skin fragments fell to the bottoms of the cucumbers, forming the shape of nine clouds. They contrasted against the jade-green dragon tails which had just taken shape.

At that very instant, it looked as though the nine cucumbers on the plate had come to life. They looked like nine green dragons which were encircling the cloud-like support structure, which in turn was suspending the revolving plate. The dragons looked so real that they appeared to be playing with one another and chatting amongst themselves.

The young man with the golden hair made a tap with his left hand as a small, delicate ice ball formed at the tip of his finger. With a simple flick, the ice ball floated towards the plate and landed at the center of all nine dragon heads.

At that very instant, the nine cucumber dragons suddenly started to move. The nine green dragons leapt upwards to different heights and extended their bodies. That was when Huo Yuhao realized how the dragon bodies were merely

 

connected by the thin fibers of the cucumber slices. Even though their connection appeared to be delicate and feeble, the dragons were never broken.

The nine jade dragons were competing against one another for the pearl-like ice ball as they leapt and ducked to fight for it. Under the cover of the icy cloud, it looked as though nine jade dragons had come to life. The plate had become their world as the nine dragons wove in and out of the clouds in an unpredictable way.

With a wave of his left hand, the plate which carried the nine dragons glided to the side of the kitchen. The young man turned around and smiled at the stupefied Huo Yuhao.

“That is today’s first dish. But I’m sorry. You won’t be able to try it.”

It was only now that Huo Yuhao finally regained his composure. He remarked, “Senior… Your knife-handling skills are out of this world. It’s unbelievable!”  At this moment, he could not find any words to describe his feelings.

 

The young man merely smiled and asked, “Do you want to learn it? The intricacies of my Rain Dragon’s Dance Carving Technique have already been perfected and integrated by me over the years. It has now come to the stage where it transcends all skills and techniques.”

Huo Yuhao almost blurted out how much he wanted to learn it. But still, he managed to keep his wits about him as he hesitated. He asked, “Your carving technique is beyond mystical. There must be some conditions which I have to fulfill in order for you to teach me, right?”

The young man with the golden hair nodded and replied, “Not bad… You’re pretty bright. You’re right! There is no free lunch in this world! Take a look at my dish. Its name is Icy Clouds of the Nine Azure Dragons. It was my masterpiece when I first started to make a name for myself in the world of artistic carving.”

Huo Yuhao remained focused as he asked, “So what would you need me to do for you?”

The young man smiled, “Don’t worry about it. It can only be a good thing. My condition is simple. If you want to learn my

 

carving technique, you must inherit my Godly Seat.”

“Godly Seat?” After hearing these two words, Huo Yuhao was shocked beyond belief. He had finally connected the dots.

The human before me—no, the god before me—is not human! No wonder he was able to abduct my soul and bring me to this paradise so easily! So, could this be the world of the gods? So, gods exist in this world?

At this very instant, Huo Yuhao felt like he was going through a mental breakdown. He had so many questions in his head, yet he was still suffering from the shock which he had just heard.

All this while, even though his aim was to attain a Godly Seat and help his Spirits move on to another world to live eternally, deep down inside, he was always doubtful about the existence of Gods.

He was unable to determine if Gods really existed. Even though he had some sort of sensation which hinted at the possibility of their existence, it was but a very minor sensation.

 

But at this very instant, when an actual God was standing before him, he could not conceal the excitement and shock inside him. Everything is real! The God Realm exists! Gods do exist! I can’t believe it!

The young man with the golden hair revealed a smile, “Are you surprised? Actually, because of your cultivation and meditations, you have long come close to becoming a God. However, to truly transcend your mortality and become a God, you’ll still have to overcome plenty of challenges.”

“Please advise me.” Huo Yuhao politely asked the young man for advice. Huo Yuhao knew nothing about the God Realm, it. However, he really wanted to know everything and anything about it. Since he knew that the God before him was not malevolent, he decided to ask for more information.

The young man with the golden hair smiled. “Actually, what we term as the God Realm is but the classification of people who have elevated their abilities to a level of purity which is similar to that of the natural elements. As our cultivation level increases, our understanding of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth improves. This improved understanding allows us to enter this place. You can actually think of the God Realm as a

 

realm formed from the purest energies. It is like a world beyond many worlds.”

“Any cultivating human would be able to enter the God Realm when they possess both a Godly Seat and abilities which are sufficiently powerful to receive approval from the God Realm. It doesn’t matter what their cultivation methods are.”

“Then how does a Godly Seat come into play?”  Huo Yuhao asked.

The young man with the golden hair replied, “At the end of the day, there is limited space in the God Realm. There is only a set amount of humans it can hold. Hence, in order to enter the God Realm, one needs a place, or rather a seat, which belongs to him or her. Godly Seats have a very complex relationship with our understanding of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. Any change in the ownership of a Godly Seat would often hint at an incoming change in the God Realm. Usually, there are a few possible scenarios or reasons why there would be a change in ownership of a Godly Seat. For example, if the owner happens to die in the pursuit of advancing his or her understanding of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, a successor is required to inherit his or her Godly Seat. Also, if an owner decides to leave the God Realm to seek knowledge

 

and enlightenment which lies beyond the God Realm, he or she must give up his or her Godly Seat to an inheritor."

As he finished his sentence, he stared deeply at Huo Yuhao, as though he were suggesting something.

Huo Yuhao spoke, "So if you were to pass your Godly Seat to me, it would be for the latter reason? Then, how many Godly Seats are there in the God Realm?"

The young man with the golden hair shook his head and admitted, "I'm afraid I don't have the answer to your question. Our God Realm controls a hundred and eight different worlds.. Among the different worlds, some of them are known as the Gifted Worlds, and the Douluo Continent happens to be one of them. A Gifted World is a world where its people are more gifted, and are much more likely to attain God status. Even though I did not come from the same continent as you, I came from another Gifted World. The people who are truly in control of the number of Gods are those who preside over the God Realm Judicial Committee. The Committee consists of two Godkings and three judges.”

 

“If you can enter the God Realm in the future, you will naturally understand what I’m talking about. In the God Realm, other than the five people on the Committee, the strongest Gods are called the Core Gods. There are thirty-two Core Gods in the God Realm. Under them are the rest of the Gods. And because I happen to be one of the thirty-two Core Gods, I assure you it would not be an insult to you if you were to accept my Godly Seat.”

Huo  Yuhao  asked,  “Then  why  are  the  soul  beasts  in  my continent unable to become Gods?”

The young man with the golden hair smiled and shook his head. “Actually, it is extremely difficult for any beast to evolve into a God. The God Realm has never stopped them from joining us. It is simply down to their lack of understanding of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. Most beasts—other than those from advanced species like the dragons—do not possess a high intelligence when they are born. Even dragons take a long time to develop fundamental mental capabilities. Hence, most of them are unable to absorb their Xiantian energy during their birth. This becomes a huge barrier for their future cultivation. Thus, even though humans do not live as long as beasts, our intelligence and absorption of our Xiantian energy allows us to possess incredible learning and cultivation ability compared to other species. The moment our intelligence becomes ours, our

 

journey to becoming stronger will become a lot smoother compared to any other species.”

Huo Yuhao took in a deep breath as he tried to take everything in. “Then why would you pass your Godly Seat to me? This is a paradise which you cannot find in the worlds of mortals. And here, you have your family with you. Isn’t this good enough for you?”

The young man revealed an awkward expression as he hesitated before sighing. He replied, “I won’t lie to you. While there are plenty of advantages that come with being a God, you will suffer from the sense of loneliness. Those Gods who can reside peacefully in the God Realm for prolonged periods of time are those who can withstand loneliness. Because a God can get anything he or she wants in the God Realm, there is an unfortunate absence of bliss and happiness. After passing my Godly Seat to you, I will bring my family to look for another God Realm, and experience what life is in the worlds beyond that.”

“Another  God  Realm?!” Huo  Yuhao  blurted,  “Hold  on.

There’s more than one God Realm out there?”

The young man with the golden hair smiled, “Of course. Our God Realm might control a hundred and eight worlds, but what about the other worlds? Our worlds are boundless, and I believe there must be other God Realms in the vast space out there. And that is what I hope to do—to journey out far beyond to find these realms. I have resided in this God Realm for many years, and continuing such a plain life is not what I want. My

 

children will descend into the mortal worlds to train after I leave with my wives to seek out the other God Realms. Who knows? I might return one day. Even though I would have lost my Godly Seat—hopefully to you—I can still create my own little haven in the God Realm with my abilities. After saying so

much, what’s your decision? Do you want to inherit my Godly Seat?”

Huo Yuhao paused for a short while before asking, “Senior, may I know why you chose me?”

The young man with the golden hair replied, “Because I have found many similarities between your experiences and mine. I have been silently observing what you have been through, and I feel that you have surpassed me in many ways. At the very least, you are a lot more faithful to your loved one.” While he was finishing up this last line, he could not help but give an awkward smile. “I was not able to remain faithful to my partner, and this failure affected my cultivation. Even though I was able to integrate my learnings and abilities before I attained God status, my unbecoming lifestyle had affected my cultivation. If not, with my abilities, I would have possessed the power to challenge one of the five seats in the Committee. I hope that you can surpass me after obtaining my Godly Seat, and ascend to the pinnacle of success within the God Realm.”

 

Ascend to the pinnacle of success within the God Realm…? The young man’s voice might be calm, but it invigorated the competitiveness within Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao took a deep breath before asking the question that was plaguing him. “So, what do you need me to do? Or rather, what kind of tests do I need to go through?”

The young man with the golden hair nodded and said, “You have already gone through enough tribulations in your life. Even though those challenges were not issued by me, I have seen how you have persevered through those tough times. Selecting the successor to a Godly Seat has always been a process infused with a huge element of luck and chance. Your understanding and potential in ice-type techniques, as well as the way you invest your emotions into your soul skills, made me choose you. Of course, you will still have to go through other evaluations, but they will not be issued by me. I can now plant the godly seed within you. Once your cultivation level is high enough, I will ferry you into the God Realm. The ultimate test you will have to face is what you already know. You will have to stop all your other competitors who will be trying to stop you from qualifying for the God Realm. Once you are done with that, you will see me again.”

 

There was absolutely no reason for Huo Yuhao to turn down his offer. As a human, he had long been cultivating and training to enter the God Realm!

“Senior, after I have become a God, can I bring my loved ones to the God Realm?”

The young man with the golden hair smiled. “Of course you can. After inheriting my Core Godly Seat and becoming a God, you will have the right to bring some of your loved ones into the God Realm. As with any other world, the stronger you are, the more weight your words will carry in the God Realm. So if you want to bring more people into the God Realm, you will have to put in a lot more work and effort.”

After hearing his words, Huo Yuhao no longer had any doubts. He respectfully bowed before the young man and announced, “I am willing to inherit your Godly Seat.”

After those simple words came out of Huo Yuhao’s mouth, the young man’s body started to give off a golden glow. Huo Yuhao’s soul form also started to shine as his body took on a golden glow.

 

The smile on the young man’s face disappeared, and it was replaced with a solemn and serious expression.

“Huo Yuhao! From today onwards, you will be the successor to my Godly Seat. As a member of the God Realm, I am not allowed to interfere with matters in the worlds beneath the God Realm. However, after possessing my godly seed, your journey to becoming stronger will be a lot smoother. My Godly Seat is named Emotion. The better you understand emotions, the smoother the process of inheritance will be.”

As he spoke, he raised his right hand and extended his index finger before tapping Huo Yuhao’s forehead.

At that instant, Huo Yuhao’s entire body trembled. He felt as though his body had become clear and transparent. Under the intense trembling, his soul seemed to have been cleansed by a mysterious power.

Suddenly, Huo Yuhao felt his spiritual energy change. It did not become stronger. Instead, it had evolved into something grander and more deserving of reverence. This sensation felt strangely familiar; he had felt it during his encounters with the Calamity Necromancer, Electrolux.

This must be what the divine sense feels like.

“Yes.  That  is  what  you  people  call  divine  sense.  After accepting my godly seed, a part of your consciousness in your soul will turn into divine sense. As your cultivation continues to improve, it will evolve more into a more complete divine sense. But I must remind you not to release your divine sense at any point in time unless you are in a life-and-death situation. If someone were to take away your godly seed, you would die. Also, my Godly Seat will be wrested away from me. Thus, you must be extremely careful for yourself and for your family. I would suggest you keep your godly seed a secret. Do not tell anyone—including your loved ones—about it.”

“Yes!”   Huo  Yuhao  respectfully  acknowledged  the  man’s instructions. His heart was brimming with happiness after sensing the improvement of his soul.

The young man smiled. “Besides giving you my godly seed, I have two other things for you. I believe they will allow you to grow faster, and become my successor sooner. They will be planted into your body along with the divine sense I have given you. Remember my words: regardless of whether it pertains to

 

your cultivation or your emotions, being faithful, dedicated and focused will be your greatest strength. Now go on.”

As he spoke, the young man waved his hand, and Huo Yuhao felt his surroundings become illusory. At that very instant, his soul form could no longer sense or perceive his surroundings. He found himself surrounded by golden sparks, as though everything had ceased to be real.

“Remember me. I am the God of Emotions, and my name is Rong Nianbing.”

As his mind reverberated with Rong Nianbing’s words, Huo Yuhao slowly lost consciousness.

As Huo Yuhao’s soul disappeared before him, Rong Nianbing revealed a sly smile as he continued to prepare his delicacies.

“Did you choose that young lad because of his potential in cooking?” A light flashed, and the old man who had played chess with Rong Nianbing appeared by the young man’s side.

 

Rong Nianbing smiled. “There’s definitely a little bit of that. But it’s a little too late to start learning now. Also, I needed him to take over my Godly Seat as soon as possible. If not, I would have taken him in as my disciple, and passed on the top-class cooking skills you taught me in the past.”

The old man hissed, “But you might have gone overboard this time round! This lad was already hand-picked by that guy. You should know very well how much that guy would hate you if he were to know that you’ve intervened.”

Rong Nianbing chuckled. “That would be his fault for not seeing this coming. Anyways, even if Huo Yuhao were to inherit my Godly Seat, it would still do him good. It would be so much better for him to gain the support of another Core God than for him to give up a Core Godly Seat, right? The only problem is that he can’t afford to be lazy anymore. But I can! Don’t you want to travel with me to the other God Realms?”

The old man laughed, “You are still the decisive one between us. Now that all is said and done, even if he were to uncover what we have done, he would have no way of reversing it. All he can do is vent his frustrations on that poor lad. You know what? I am starting to feel sorry for that young boy! All of you

 

cunning folks are really bad people—picking on a young man like him.”

Rong Nianbing replied casually, “One can only improve and become better if he or she can handle the hardships of life. When I told him about my wish for him to ascend the pinnacle of this God Realm, I meant every single word I said. Also, I feel that my abilities are better suited to him. Don’t you agree with me?”

“Yes yes yes. You’re always right. Now go and prepare lunch.

I’m already famished.”

“Yes, my dear master.”

……

Golden. It was still golden. When Huo Yuhao woke up, he realized he was still cultivating with Tang Wutong. They were still drawing upon their soul power and improving their Haodong Power.

 

While they were basking in their mutual love for one another, their Haodong Power seemed to have improved. Within the rapidly flowing fluid, the golden spirals had expanded to twice their original size. Even though these spirals were unable to compress as much soul power as soul cores,

they were able to contain more soul power than the usual medium. This allowed their soul power to continually expand and increase as they mixed and combined with one another.

Was all of that a dream? Could it be some sort of hallucination?

After Huo Yuhao woke up, he started to think back to the out-of-body experience he had had earlier.

That young man with the golden hair. That paradise. That pavilion.

The God of Emotion, and the Godly Seat?

Were those things real, or just products of my imagination?

 

If it was all real, that would be insane! The Beast God Di Tian must have thought that he would be able to seal me with his reverse scale. But he didn’t know it wouldn’t even be able to detect it when a real God decided to intervene and take action.

As he mulled over what had happened, Huo Yuhao focused on his soul power and felt the changes in it.

Very soon, he realized—much to his surprise—that the increase in strength and solidity of the Haodong Power whenever he and Tang Wutong circulated it was not a result of any change in their cultivation methods. The spirals that allowed their soul power to become more condensed were the product of an inherent change within his soul power.

Chapter 514: Leaving Seclusion

Huo Yuhao discovered a mysterious glistening layer on top of the soul power in his Mysterious Heaven Technique. That glistening layer felt very mystical, as though it was a blend of white and black which merged with his soul power.

As his cultivation increased, Huo Yuhao’s soul power had transformed into a faint golden color. This was a product of the continual improvement of his abilities. While his soul power remained golden, there was now an additional membrane-like exterior on the outside of his soul power. This light membrane was formed from the black and white colors.

With this additional membrane, Huo Yuhao suddenly discovered a leap in the quality of his soul power. It had become a lot more refined, and seemed to be pulsating. The rhythm at which his soul power was pulsating appeared to be directly linked to the movement or activity of his soul. It was almost as if his spiritual energy and soul power had fused together. In other words, they were no longer distinct compounds, but the same kind of energy.

 

As he took a glance at Tang Wutong, Huo Yuhao realized that the soul power that Tang Wutong had integrated into the Haodong Power had also transformed. Her soul power, which was originally golden, now had an additional violet tinge on its exterior. Huo Yuhao recognized this violet color! Back then when he first tried and failed to integrate with her martial

soul, Tang Wutong’s soul power had been exactly like this. He

could still remember the grandeur it exuded very clearly.

Previously, when they were trying to fuse their martial souls above the Sea God’s Lake, Tang Wutong seemed to have called something back from the golden trident rune on her forehead. Now it was apparent that the strange thing she had called back was probably this violet membrane. And because Huo Yuhao had gained the black and white light membrane and Tang Wutong had regained her violet membrane, both their soul powers had a fundamental transformation. However, the fusion of their martial souls was still seamless. Their Haodong Power was also undergoing a similar fundamental transformation.

Unless everything I experienced was real? Huo Yuhao was in disbelief, but he knew that was the only possible answer.

 

If that was the case, the additional membrane on his soul power could be explained. He would also know what had been added to his soul power. The black and white membrane must be the divine sense the God of Emotions was referring to. If my martial soul is still able to fuse with Tang Wutong’s martial

soul under such circumstances, does that mean Tang Wutong’s

soul power also possesses divine sense? After all, her soul power also has a membrane… That would explain why I was unable to fuse with her martial soul! It was because she had divine sense, and her soul power was at a higher level than mine!

After thinking it through, Huo Yuhao’s mind cleared up. Even though he didn’t not know where and how Tang Wutong got her divine sense, he knew it would surely not be a bad thing! In fact, things could not be better! Their original Haodong Power was about 1.5 times their total soul power. But with the foundation of their respective divine sense, their Haodong Power gained another 50% from their condensed soul power. This meant that when they performed a fusion of their martial souls, their soul power alone would allow them to be on par with a Rank 92 Titled Douluo! Of course, their soul power regeneration ability would still be incomparable to a Titled Douluo’s, because they didn’t possess the same soul core.

 

But their martial souls were undeniably amongst the best martial souls out there! Besides, stamina was not the sole success factor in battles. When it came to explosiveness, Huo Yuhao was very confident in his abilities.

The God of Emotions. A Godly Seat. Have I really been chosen by a God?

The return of his loved one and the gift of a Godly Seat had seemed to turn his life around. Everything started to seem wonderful, as though he had finally reached the light at the end of the tunnel. This made the love in Huo Yuhao’s heart even stronger as the circulation of the Haodong Power became even smoother and more perfect. As Huo Yuhao steadied the thoughts in his mind and started to focus on the circulations, he continued cultivating with Tang Wutong.

The golden trident rune on Tang Wutong’s forehead was glowing gently as the violet glow circulated around it and entered her body. Compared to Huo Yuhao, she had already emptied her mind, and was fully focused on cultivation. Basking in Huo Yuhao’s love, she was in undeniable bliss and comfort.

 

She was also undergoing a mysterious transformation. A large part of the transformation was the fusion of her memories of the past. Those cloudy memories were fusing and integrating with her mind under the influence of Huo Yuhao’s love. She was regaining everything, from her memories to her

emotions.

……

“What? They’re still not out yet?” Xu Sanshi exclaimed with a strange expression on his face as he looked at Bei Bei. “It’s already been so many days. Even newlyweds don’t over-exert themselves to this extent, right? It’s already been seven days since they sparred with Dean Yan and returned to the Sea God’s Pavilion. I must say, they’re really… strong!”

Bei Bei frowned and replied, "Enough of that. Can you not use your dirty mind to measure the actions and thoughts of our little junior brother? They are not doing any of the "over- exertions" you have in your dirty mind. I heard from Elder Xuan that both of them have been busy cultivating. And it appears that both of them have made significant progress. They have entered a state of deep meditation, and may even be in the Conscious State of Deep Meditation. After all, if we were

 

to compare our talents, Tang Wutong and little junior brother probably have the most out of the seven of us."

Xu Sanshi gave an awkward smile and replied, "To be honest, I must say I wasn't very accepting of the fact that he was more talented than us in the past. But since he returned the other time, I must say I can't help but agree with what you just said. Argh! There's no point comparing with one another. We really need to work harder. Wait, isn't little junior brother helping us concoct elixirs? I wonder how much they’ll help us improve our abilities this time around…"

Bei Bei hissed, "Can you stop thinking about such things? Growth and improvement brought by external products will never truly belong to our bodies. Nothing beats improvement gained by our own training."

Xu Sanshi giggled, "Oh come on! I'm sure you share the same thoughts as me! We are very different from the usual soul engineers. Because we have been training hard from our youth, our foundation is extremely firm and secured. Besides, little junior brother only uses rare and precious herbs for his elixirs. They have hardly any side-effects or drawbacks. Oh, that's right, how is Xiao Ya been doing these few days?"

 

After hearing Xu Sanshi mention Xiao Ya, Bei Bei's eyes softened visibly. "She’s in much better shape now, even though her body is still a little weak. It also appears that she has started to regain some of her memories. She is so lucky to have little junior brother's Life Guardian Blade by her side. Even

though her life energy continues to leak away, she should be fine for the next two or three years.”

Xu Sanshi nodded and said, “I’ve been keeping tabs on the different auctions. We have already dispatched the tasks, and we have started to see people returning with different medicines. Even though we have yet to see the real Bluesilver Emperor, things have started to look really positive as more powerful individuals join us in this task. I believe that with the additional manpower, we will be able to deliver the Bluesilver Emperor in no time.”

Bei Bei nodded gently and said, “I really hope so. We have already troubled so many people to help Xiao Ya.”

Xu Sanshi rolled his eyes and said, “Oh come on! We’re a family. Xiao Ya is both the Sect Leader of the Tang Sect and also my sister-in-law. How can we not help her?”

 

Bei Bei smiled, “Alright, alright. You should run along and train those young people now. All three of our Soul Engineer Legions’ combat powers have all been established. You should go and help them out. Little junior brother was right. The right way to go in the future is to integrate the power of soul masters and soul tools. We might have neglected soul tools all this while, but the Sun Moon Empire has been over-reliant on them. Their troops might perform well in groups, but when it comes to individual unit strength, our newly trained soul

engineers will most definitely be stronger than them.”

Xu Sanshi nodded and replied, “I really hope we can make up for the gap between the Sun Moon Empire’s soul tools and ours. Alright, that’s enough for now. I shall take my leave.”

As he finished his sentence, Xu Sanshi turned and left, while Bei Bei started to settle some of the work that needed to be done.

……

The Sun Moon Empire's royal palace.

 

Dressed in a long, elegant white dress, Ju Zi sat in the courtyard quietly as she basked lazily under the warm, inviting sun.

There was a fur scarf draped across her shoulders. Blush had been applied to her pretty face, which threatened to steal the limelight of anything and everything in her presence.

There was also some pelt draped across her thighs. She gently stroked her abdomen with her right hand as her eyes radiated warmth and affection. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts from time to time, as though she had recalled something.

……

Roarrr! The low belting sound of a dragon echoed across the sky. The dense ripples of its soul power fused with its strong spiritual energy and rippled outwards slowly.

The gigantic Golden Tree glowed as though it were absorbing this enormous amount of energy, which was dissipating

 

through the air. It also seemed like it was trying to prevent any wasteful leakage of these precious energy waves.

The dragon’s roar was neither created by a man nor a dragon. It originated from a golden spiral. And this golden spiral was precisely the one between Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong.

Their palms were raised against one another, and the golden spiral was circulating and spiralling perfectly between them.

The golden color was brilliant and piercing to the eye. It glittered as though there were countless sparks within it.

Yes! That was their brand-new Haodong Power, which was entirely different from the old one.

This Haodong Power was pure, and did not encompass their individual divine sense. It was a perfect fusion.

Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong opened their eyes at almost the same time. If one were to pay attention to Huo Yuhao’s eyes,

 

one would see a tinge of purple in the depths of his eyes. At the center of his pupils, two flashes of black and white transformed into an arc and retreated into the depths of his pupils.

A violet glow flashed before retreating into Tang Wutong’s eyes. Her eyes appeared to be crystal clear, as though one could see into her beautiful soul.

Both of them looked at each other and smiled before they broke their palms away from each other at the same time. The golden spiral before them transformed into four currents, which followed their palms and returned to their bodies.

Huo Yuhao looked at Tang Wutong with both happiness and love brimming from his eyes.

Even though she was blushing, Tang Wutong could not take her eyes off Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao opened his arms and brought her into his embrace. As he hugged her soft and warm body tightly, he could sense the Haodong Power which was still pulsating through their bodies. He gently said, “Wutong, I am now certain that my Dong’er has returned.”

“Thank you.” Tang Wutong gently replied.

Huo Yuhao smiled, “I should be the one thanking you instead. Do you know your return has given me a new lease on life?”

Tang Wutong whispered, “And why do you think it would be different for me? Do you know how I felt earlier?”

“What did it feel like?” Huo Yuhao asked curiously.

Tang Wutong replied, “I felt complete. Finally complete.”

“Complete?” Huo Yuhao was confused.

Tang Wutong said, “Yes! Do you remember the day when I witnessed you take nine cuts for me? After the sight of you sustaining eighteen wounds awakened the memories in my head, I felt as if I was the product of many different souls. I had a lot of different memories in my head, and everything just felt super confusing. Even though Dong’er’s memories were the bulk of it, because she was only recently awakened, my memories and hers constantly came into conflict. Hence, I was in a lot of pain during that time. In fact, I didn’t even know who I was—Tang Wutong or Wang Dong’er.”

“But now it’s different. Everything has become so much clearer. It no longer matters whether I’m Tang Wutong or Wang Dong’er. You have made me experience and understand a lot of things. Dong’er’s memories are now completely integrated with mine, and I am now complete. I am both Tang

 

Wutong and Wang Dong’er. But no matter what my name is, you will always be my love.”

As she spoke, she hugged Huo Yuhao tightly, and stuck her satisfied face into his embrace.

“That’s right! No matter what your name is, you will always be my love.” Huo Yuhao repeated Tang Wutong’s words.

Sometimes, not speaking could be a stronger expression of love than any words. This session had allowed them to rediscover the love they had for one another. Even though Wang Dong’er had changed her name, she was still the Dong’er who loved him.

“If the two of you plan to perform for all of us old folks, could you please hurry up? If not, can you scram back to your Tang Sect? In these seven days, both of you have absorbed a third of the energy from the Golden Tree. It probably won’t recover from that anytime soon.”  Elder Xuan’s reprimanding voice echoed into their ears.

 

Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong jolted and moved away from one another with blushing faces. But at the same time, they were both taken aback by Elder Xuan’s words.

Seven days?! We’ve been training for seven days?! Huo Yuhao was not as shocked, as his journey into the God Realm made the entire thing seem a bit longer. But Tang Wutong felt that she had merely taken a nap in Huo Yuhao’s loving embrace.

“I’m so sorry, Elder Xuan! We’ll take our leave right away.” Huo Yuhao dragged Tang Wutong and fled from the Sea God’s Pavilion.

By the time they reached the outside of the Sea God’s Pavilion, they noticed how faint the colors of the Golden Tree had become just over the course of these few days.

Upon seeing this, both Tang Wutong and Huo Yuhao felt an immense sense of gratitude towards their elders.

The Golden Tree was the greatest asset and the most important foundation of Shrek Academy. Only its most outstanding disciples would be allowed to experience the

 

origin energy of heaven and earth from the Golden Tree at an appropriate time. Afterwards, these disciples would then leave to carve out their own paths. Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong had experienced this previously, when Tang Wutong was still Wang Dong’er.

Afterwards, as Huo Yuhao gained a deeper understanding of the Academy, he started to understand how the Golden Tree by itself was a very peculiar organism. Many souls of Shrek Academy’s seniors had stayed within the Tree. Beyond that, it could absorb the origin energy of heaven and earth from its surroundings and consolidate it into its center. Thus, cultivation within the Sea God’s Pavilion was often extremely productive.

But this did not mean that the members of the Sea God’s Pavilion could absorb the energy from the Golden Tree whenever they wished. In fact, all of its members had been extremely prudent, and often only absorbed a tiny bit of the origin energy. Most of them would leave the pavilion if they felt that they were about to break their training bottleneck, in fear of consuming too much energy from the Golden Tree— unless they determined that they were in imminent danger.

 

Previously, when the beast wave came, the almighty Beast God Di Tian had led the soul beast army from the Great Star Dou Forest. If not for the power of the Golden Tree, which Elder Mu and Elder Xuan borrowed to trap Di Tian, Shrek Academy might have turned into ruins.

Hence, the Golden Tree could be said to be Shrek Academy’s last line of defence. It was thus important for it to possess sufficient origin energy of heaven and earth.

Because Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong were absorbed in their Conscientious State of Deep Meditation, they would naturally be oblivious to the copious amount of origin energy of heaven and earth they absorbed from the Golden Tree. However, Elder Xuan and the other elders did not stop them at all during the entire process. Hence, Huo Yuhao felt immensely grateful towards them. He knew that both Wutong and him had absorbed a large part of Shrek Academy’s resources!

Huo Yuhao held Tang Wutong’s hand as both of them kneeled down and bowed in the direction of the Golden Tree. They were both thanking the elders and the Golden Tree for the origin energy of heaven and earth.

 

In their short seven days of cultivation in the Conscientious State of Deep Meditation, their soul power had improved by an entire rank! This was a full rank increase after Rank 80!

“Wutong, do you want to follow me back to the Tang Sect? You can stay with me at the Tang Sect from now on.” Huo Yuhao whispered to Tang Wutong lovingly.

Tang Wutong smiled, “Sure. I’ll follow you wherever you go!” Her beautiful smile made Huo Yuhao feel like loving her as he squeezed her hand tightly.

Both of them flashed a smile at one another before they stood up and sprinted for the Tang Sect after leaving Sea God’s Island.

Elder Xuan stood before his room’s window and watched the couple leave as a smile formed on his face. He muttered to himself, “What a pair of talented individuals! Even the heavens would be jealous of their talents! Elder Mu, it seems like we have finally found you a successor. Regardless of what happens, we will help them grow quickly. Heroes are born in chaotic times! Let’s just hope they’ll have enough time to grow into the heroes we all deserve.”

In the Tang Sect.

“Welcome back, Dong’er!” Jiang Nannan gave Tang Wutong a huge embrace as tears welled up in her beautiful eyes.

News of Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong’s return had spread within the Tang Sect, and everyone was excited to welcome them back.

Since the Fated Blind Date, everyone in the Tang Sect had learned how Tang Wutong was Wang Dong’er. After knowing that Wang Dong’er—Huo Yuhao’s love—had returned, some rejoiced, while some were feeling a little disappointed. But even the disappointed ones felt happy for both of them.

Very soon, the higher-ups in the Tang Sect arrived.

Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao, Caitou, Xuan Ziwen, Gao Dalou, Ye Guyi, Nan Qiuqiu, Na Na, Ji Juechen and Jing Ziyan were all present. They were the pillars of Tang Sect, and nearly all of them had stayed behind. With their help, the Tang Sect seemed to be moving toward a bright future, as they

 

helped to manufacture soul tools and continued to cultivate their own abilities.

Bei Bei did not come alone. There was another person in his embrace. And that person was none other than Tang Ya.

Tang Ya was still looking very pale, but one could tell that she was a lot more spirited from the look in her eyes. As she stared at Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong, she revealed a faint smile.

“Eldest  senior  brother  and  Teacher  Xiao  Ya.”  Huo  Yuhao hastily stepped forward and gave Tang Ya a concerned look.

Tang Ya smiled before giving him a cheeky reply. “Yuhao, you know how to grill fish, right?”

Those words were simple, but they surprised both Huo Yuhao and Bei Bei. Both of them stared at one another, and saw the excitement and hope in each other’s eyes.

 

“Teacher Xiao Ya, you have regained your memories?”  Huo Yuhao asked Tang Ya excitedly.

Tang Ya looked at him, but her eyes still seemed a little clouded. She muttered, “Yuhao, the grilled fish was delicious.”

Huo Yuhao replied instantly, “Yes! Teacher Xiao Ya, I will make them for you right away! Is that okay?”

“Yes.” Tang Ya nodded.

Tears started to well up in Bei Bei’s eyes. While the poison in Tang Ya’s body had been gradually removed after being rescued a few weeks ago, her body remained weak, and she could only barely recognize him. But after seeing Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong’er today, she was actually able to point out the grilled fish she ate. This humongous improvement was more than enough to excite them and give them hope.

Hence, today’s lunch became grilled fish, and Huo Yuhao— the guy who was arguably the most important person in Tang Sect now—became their master chef for the day. He grilled fish for Teacher Xiao Ya, Wutong, and all his other companions.

As he watched his hands produce the sumptuous grilled fish, he found himself thinking about the God of Emotions uncontrollably. His culinary art must be at an impossible level…

Everyone had lunch together in a joyous atmosphere. Even Tang Ya ate two whole grilled fish by herself before falling asleep in Bei Bei’s embrace with a sweet smile.

However, after the sumptuous lunch, Huo Yuhao started to get busy with work. There were simply too many things for him to do.

The moment lunch was finished, Xuan Ziwen pulled Huo Yuhao into the Research Institute without any regard for his honeymoon. Huo Yuhao had disappeared for the past seven or eight days. If he had disappeared for any reason other than Tang Wutong, Xuan Ziwen would have reprimanded him. Even though he could understand why Huo Yuhao had to leave, Xuan Ziwen carried a face of displeasure at the delay that had occurred.

 

Resigned to his ill fate, Huo Yuhao could only follow Xuan Ziwen to the Research Institute. Huo Yuhao knew well that the Tang Sect was in no shortage of living space, and Tang Wutong would have no trouble finding a room. Hence, he could follow Xuan Ziwen to make soul tools without any worry for her. She

had also reassured him that she could continue her cultivation in the Tang Sect, and that he could find her whenever he found time to do so.

After clearing all his worries of Tang Wutong off his mind, Huo Yuhao dove back into his research.

“The entire structure is almost complete. The manufacturing process is up next.” Xuan Ziwen looked pleased as he patted the thick stack of blueprints.

He had never built this Class 9 soul tool before, as it had only been conceptualized recently. Even though the experience of their predecessors had played a part in the soul tool’s design, it was still something he deserved to be proud of.

Huo Yuhao nodded and said, “How do you want me to help you?”

Xuan Ziwen chuckled, “No, no. You will not be the one helping me. You have mixed up the order. I should be the one helping you. From today onwards, you will begin the construction of this Class 9 soul tool, and I will assist you in your work. If you bump into any problems, I will help you

 

rectify them. Nevertheless, the entire process would be led and carried out by you.”

“What?!”  Huo Yuhao’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Teacher Xuan, I’m not ready for this! You can’t push me this hard...”

Xuan Ziwen teased him, “Oh come on! Do you really think I don’t know you’ve already acquired your eighth ring? Besides, you previously built a Class 8 soul tool, and are somewhat qualified to be a Class 8 soul engineer. Besides, I’m not pushing you too hard. I’m merely varying my teaching methods according to the capabilities and potential of my disciples. How can you be compared to any average student? You possess such powerful spiritual power, and have attained a sufficiently high cultivation. If it were only a Class 8 soul tool, there would have been no need for me to instruct you in person. I’m sure you’ll be able to figure it out if I give you time to slowly explore the designs. It will only be a matter of time before you complete the soul tool. Class 9 soul tools are somewhat equivalent to a combination of twenty or thirty Class 8 soul tools. Once you figure out the intricacies behind it, crafting Class 8 soul tools will be a piece of cake for you in the future.”

“But don’t underestimate this pill furnace. It contains over thirty different formation arrays, and every single one of them

 

is required to master the construction of a Class 8 soul tool. As long as you can build the bulk of this soul tool, you can claim the title of a Class 8 soul engineer. Okay, that’s enough talking. You can start working now. Don’t rush into it, and begin from the external shell layer. I have collected all the rare metals and placed them here. You have one day to complete the external shell layer. We will discuss the interior after you’re done with that.” Following which, Xuan Ziwen gave a cheeky smile before leaving the Research Institute.

Huo Yuhao’s jaw dropped as he watched Xuan Ziwen leave. This is a freaking Class 9 soul tool! Seems like I need to tone down a bit. Being too outstanding can be bad sometimes… If it were someone else instead of me, I’m sure Teacher Xuan would not have done this…

Huo Yuhao knew Xuan Ziwen’s temperament very well. There was no chance of him changing his mind after he had made a decision. Since Teacher Xuan wants me to do it, bring it on then! But it’s really quite a shame that I got myself into this mess just when I was finally reunited with Wutong. I thought I would finally have time to spend with her…

But the mere thought of Wutong took away all the frustration in his heart as a blissful look appeared on his face. I

 

will fight on just so I can better protect Wutong in the future!

Because the design of this pill furnace was made by Huo Yuhao and Xuan Ziwen, he was already very familiar with it. After having tried building a few outer shells and formation arrays, he was pretty confident about it.

Very soon, Huo Yuhao was able to isolate the blueprints which pertained to the outer shell layer.

And just as Xuan Ziwen had said, all the rare metals required to craft the pill furnace were all prepared and ready to be used. They were all neatly arranged in front of a wall at the corner of the Research Institute.

However, after examining the outer shell’s blueprints closely, Huo Yuhao started to doubt himself. With his current ability, building the outer shell of a soul tool—even a Class 9 soul tool

—would not be a problem. However, the outer shell of this pill

furnace was quite a bit different from a standard Class 9 soul tool.

 

While it was common for Class 9 soul tools which were not close combat tools to be made from simpler outer shell materials, this pill furnace was the exception. Firstly, it had to be able to withstand high temperatures and pressure. Hence, even though it was just the outer shell, the material used to build the outer shell had to be carefully chosen. Being a perfectionist, Xuan Ziwen had chosen an exceptional metal—

scarlet devil essence—to be one of the ingredients for the outer

shell. It was an exceptionally rare fire-type metal.

This rare fire-type metal contained a humongous amount of fire-type elemental energy. Its body itself was also incredibly tough. Because it contained fire-type elemental energy, it was resistant to all types of fire—even Ultimate Fire This ingredient was often used only for soul tools which were Class 8 and above because it was particularly hard to shape or carve. Because it was impossible to smelt it, one had to rely on his or her soul power to force its shape to change. During this process, one had to put up with a fire and poison attack from the scarlet devil essence.

Scarlet devil essence was simply too rare and precious. Even Xuan Ziwen’s pill furnace’s outer layer could not be entirely constructed from it. Nevertheless, the pill furnace’s interior was coated with a centimeter thick layer of scarlet devil

 

essence. Huo Yuhao had no idea how Xuan Ziwen had managed to find so much of this precious metal.

No wonder Teacher Xuan wanted me to build this outer shell… Even though he was already a Titled Douluo and a Class 9 soul engineer, Teacher Xuan would still need at least 2 weeks to build this outer shell. Huo Yuhao might be talented, but it was simply not possible for him to be compared to Teacher Xuan when it came to raw, actual ability.

Teacher Xuan… How could you be so cruel to me?

As he stared blankly at the huge block of scarlet devil essence, which was radiating immense heat, Huo Yuhao was speechless.

As he coated his hands with diamond-like ice crystals, Huo Yuhao carefully lifted a block of scarlet devil essence that was roughly half a meter across. He placed it on the soul tool’s laboratory bench. Even though he was unwilling to experiment with this block of metal, Huo Yuhao had to admit that it was probably worth enough money to buy a small city. In fact, it was probably so precious that one would not be able to find it on the market.

I wonder how many high-level fire-type soul tools I could build with this! I must not waste even a small chunk of it!

What?! It’s so heavy!

Yes, the metal was impossibly heavy.

Even though this metal block was not very big, it weighed close to 5 tonnes. It took a lot from Huo Yuhao to even shift it onto the bench.

The immense heat from the metal made Huo Yuhao feel very uncomfortable. His ice-type martial soul did not enjoy being in close proximity to such high temperatures. Fortunately, his Extreme Ice was very resistant towards high temperatures. Under the protection of the Ice Empress’ Pincer, he was able to stay out of harm’s way.

The biggest problem for the construction of this outer shell was this scarlet devil essence. How am I going to do it…? The Life Guardian Blade should be able to carve into this block of metal. However, it will only be able to do so by devouring the

 

metal’s energy. This would mean that the metal would lose a copious amount of its energy. If Teacher Xuan were to know about it, I would definitely be killed!

Teacher Xuan, do you really think I’m a God? How am I supposed to finish this in a single day?

It seems like there’s no other way… I must find second senior brother to borrow his Darkness Green Dragon! Without a ranked carving knife’s sharpness, I don’t think it’s possible to carve anything on this metal. It seems like I must slowly dig out the metal from the center of this block before fixing the exterior and carving it into the shape of a shell! Just the thought of it makes me feel tired already...

After making up his mind, Huo Yuhao stood up and got ready to look for Caitou to borrow his Darkness Green Dragon. However, just when he was about to turn and leave, an idea hit him.

Mayan blue flame enshrouds an immortal art. Carving dragons and phoenixes with a cold blade.

 

Following which, Huo Yuhao felt his forehead turn cold as his Eye of Destiny opened on its own. A flash of Mayan blue escaped from his eye and suspended itself before him.

It was a small knife which was no longer than five inches. The tip of the blade was very small and delicate, while the blade and the handle were approximately the same length. The blade was giving off a Mayan blue glow, while the sides of the blade had a scary-looking carving.

This is…

After hesitating for a short while, Huo Yuhao’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Startling changes begin where the masterful hand lands. Carving strokes ripple through the masterpiece a hundred times. This ancient art shall outlast eternity. The raised knife, like a crescent moon, will illuminate the cold spring.”

The Ghostcarving Godly Blade!

 

Yes, it was the Ghostcarving Godly Blade!

Huo Yuhao suddenly remembered the mysterious God of Emotions, and the two gifts he had promised him. Could one of them be the Ghostcarving Godly Blade? Even though it appeared to be a simple carving knife used for cooking, it was still ultimately a knife used by a God in the God Realm. If a God had used it, would it be considered a godly weapon?

Just as he was trying to calm himself from his shock, a strange memory began to surface explosively in Huo Yuhao’s mind. These memories were like floodwaters which rushed into the center of his soul. Huo Yuhao felt as though there were countless slicing and cutting scenes which flitted before his eyes as he tried to control his spiritual sea to store these memories.

If it were any other person than Huo Yuhao, they would have fallen into a state of panic the moment they found their head filled with a huge sea of unknown memories. However, Huo Yuhao was mentally strong, and even though he was taken aback by this, he was able to calm himself and store these memories in the depths of his soul.

 

When a memory was imprinted onto a person’s soul, it was as good as the person’s. This memory happened to contain the documentation for a certain carving technique. This carving technique was no ordinary technique, as it seemed to contain some special and mystical portions within it.

Huo Yuhao stood there quietly and closed his eyes as he tried to feel the intricacies behind the techniques within his newly- gained memories. As the flashback ran it course in his head, he slowly lifted his right hand and grabbed the Ghostcarving Godly Blade before him.

The Ghostcarving Godly Blade seemed to be alive as it gently adjusted itself in Huo Yuhao’s hands. It was like a beautiful cluster of blue flame in his hand.

As Huo Yuhao began to wave the knife in the air gently, the blue flame—or rather the blade—carved out mystical lines and patterns in the air. Those lines and patterns glowed as pitch black cracks started to form along them. Those lines were thin, and the cracks sealed themselves quickly after they were formed, but the air had undeniably cracked.

Chapter 515: The Seal on Tang Wutong's Body

While Huo Yuhao was trying to figure out the technique, what left the deepest impression in his mind were some words from a familiar voice.

“The Rain Dragon’s Dance Carving Technique is the most difficult carving technique from my world. After becoming a God, I invested my leisure time into its continual improvement and development. As they say, one’s deep mastery of a single skill will open doors to many other skills. You can think of this as a gift from me. I hope you can put in the effort to understand the beauty and intricacies behind this skill. Using the Ghostcarving Godly Blade to perform the Rain Dragon’s Dance Carving Technique would grant you abilities beyond your imagination.”

As he opened his eyes and saw the pulsating Mayan blue flame before him, Huo Yuhao became unbelievably excited. Now, he was certain that everything he had experienced in the God Realm was real. Yes, everything was real!

 

Both the Ghostcarving Godly Blade and the Rain Dragon’s Dance Carving Technique were gifts from the God of Emotions.

Huo Yuhao was engulfed by passion and excitement. Even though the Rain Dragon’s Dance Carving Technique was mainly used for carving, Huo Yuhao knew it contained insights on the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. He was surprised by how much he had already learned in this short period of reminiscence, and knew how studying the technique more would help to shed light on the mysteries of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth.

As he took another look at the block of scarlet devil essence, Huo Yuhao no longer showed the same unwillingness to work with it. All that was left was excitement.

Let’s see what the Rain Dragon’s Dance can do!

Huo Yuhao was an incredibly fast learner—this could be seen from his multiple successes with deep meditation. The Rain Dragon’s Dance Carving Technique was already imprinted in the depths of his soul. This was planned by the God of Emotions—Rong Nianbing—so that he could pick up the

 

technique quickly. Thus, any preliminary understand or even mastery would not be too challenging.

Huo Yuhao waved his right hand as he watched the blue flame—the blade—twitch in his hand. Following which, the blade slashed forward at an unbelievable speed, leaving a mysterious yet alluring flash in its wake.

At that very instant, a chip fell off the corner of the block of scarlet devil essence silently. It was only when it landed on the bench that the burning fire poison was released.

So fast! It feels so good!

Right now, Huo Yuhao felt as though the blade had become an extension of his body. This sensation was simply incredible, and nearly addictive.

Huo Yuhao waved his right hand again, and once more, the Mayan blue flame appeared to merely jolt. As expected, the tough scarlet devil essence was sliced like a carrot by the Ghostcarving Godly Blade, which was sharp beyond belief.

 

Slowly, Huo Yuhao started to pick up speed. Because he already possessed an important foundational ability when it came to carving, it was not too challenging for him to pick up the Rain Dragon’s Dance Carving Technique.

The Ghostcarving Godly Blade did not seem to possess any additional ability beyond its incredible sharpness.

It was definitely the sharpest weapon Huo Yuhao had seen in his life. Strangely, no matter how he used the blade, the blade of the Ghostcarving Godly Blade would neither come into contact with his fingers nor cut him in any way.

Prior to the Ghostcarving Godly Blade, Huo Yuhao had also felt a similar affinity with other weapons. But this was the first time he actually felt a weapon connect with his soul. It was almost an extension of his consciousness and intentions. Hence, the Rain Dragon’s Dance Carving Technique would definitely be able to exercise the full capability of the Ghostcarving Godly Blade.

After making a round of the Soul Tool Hall and instructing some of the disciples who he felt were gifted, Xuan Ziwen proceeded to where Caitou was.

After Huo Yuhao, Caitou was definitely the most gifted one. What made Xuan Ziwen particularly pleased about Caitou was his passion and dedication to researching soul tools. Even though Caitou did not possess the earthshattering talents that Huo Yuhao had, Caitou’s foundation was very strong, and his mind was dead set on soul tools. He had built a solid foundation as a Class 7 soul engineer, and in Xuan Ziwen’s eyes, Caitou was most definitely capable of becoming a Class 9 soul engineer. In fact, Xuan Ziwen believed that Caitou might even surpass Huo Yuhao when it came to soul tool research.

As he thought about this, Xuan Ziwen could not help but feel frustrated. Huo Yuhao, why can’t you just dedicate your attention and efforts to soul tool research? You are so gifted, yet so unfocused when it comes to such things. I can’t imagine what you would be able to achieve if you were to put all your attention into the making of soul tools!

Even though his mind harbored such intentions, Xuan Ziwen knew well enough that it was impossible for him to convince Huo Yuhao to commit to soul tools. He knew he was not the only one who held high hopes for Huo Yuhao. There were a whole bunch of people at Shrek Academy who wished Huo Yuhao would become a star in different fields.

 

The fact that Huo Yuhao could take time off to learn how to make soul tools was already a big win for him. No matter what, Xuan Ziwen wanted Huo Yuhao to become a Class 9 soul engineer. Once he is able to build his own Class 9 soul tools, he will finally understand the absolute advantage soul tools hold over soul masters. Once it comes to that stage, I will no longer need to worry about him not putting enough effort into soul

tool research. I’m sure if he puts all his effort into the making of soul tools, he has a good chance at becoming a Class 10 soul engineer! After all, he has the potential to become an Ultimate Douluo!

While he was thinking about all of these things, he arrived at Caitou’s soul tool workshop. Because Caitou was under Xuan Ziwen’s tutelage —the great soul tool researcher—he was able to make significant progress despite researching some immensely difficult Class 8 soul tools.

Xuan Ziwen purposely stayed behind at Caitou’s place a little longer to provide detailed instructions and mentoring. Even though he held great expectations for Huo Yuhao, he held Caitou in similar importance. Caitou was a pure soul engineer, and Xuan Ziwen believed that sometimes, hard work was more important than innate talent. Caitou was definitely not a disciple worth neglecting nor giving up on! Even though Fan Yu’s understanding of soul tools could not match Xuan Ziwen’s,

 

he was still able to help Caitou build up a solid foundation for the understanding of soul tools. As long as Caitou continued to work hard and ensured his soul power’s growth was in stride with his soul tool research ability, it would not be long before he became a Class 9 soul engineer.

Xuan Ziwen was never stingy when it came to sharing what he had learned and knew about soul tools. Because he was serious when it came to teaching, and Caitou was equally serious when it came to learning, the day passed quickly for both of them.

“It’s  time  for  dinner.  Come,  let’s  go  and  eat  now.”  Xuan Ziwen patted He Caitou’s shoulder as a rare smile formed on his  face.  He  continued,  “You’re  improving  really  quickly recently. It seems like you must have developed a deeper understanding of soul tools?”

He Caitou smiled and replied, “It’s all thanks to you.”

Xuan Ziwen laughed, “Oh, come on! The others might not know, but do you think I really can’t tell? You might look honest and simple, but you’re a very meticulous and

 

hardworking person. You’re so much better than Yuhao! It would be so good if he was half as hardworking as you.”

As he heard Xuan Ziwen mention Huo Yuhao, Caitou could not help but ask, “Teacher Xuan, why didn’t you get Yuhao to study soul tool construction now that he’s finally back?”  He realized Xuan Ziwen had essentially spent his entire day at his place.

Xuan Ziwen smiled slyly and replied, “Of course I won’t let him go that easily. I have given him an extremely difficult task and told him to complete it in a single day. Come and follow me. I’m going to show you how this lad is going to fail so badly. We must give him a punishment once in a while. If not, his ego would expand beyond proportions!”

He Caitou smiled. “Teacher Xuan, you have wronged Yuhao. He is not someone who would let praises go to his head easily.”

“Hmph!  It  is  still  important  to  wake  this  lad  up  when necessary. We need to stop him from becoming complacent. In a soul engineer’s line of work, hard work is as important as talent. It’s no use for him to only possess talent. If not for his solid foundation, I would have chased him out.”

After hearing his teacher’s words, He Caitou couldn’t help but  burst  into  laughter.  “Teacher  Xuan,  your  words  might sound tough, but they can’t hide your love for Huo Yuhao. I don’t think you could even bear to chase him away.”

Xuan Ziwen glared at him and threatened, “I see! It seems like all of you brothers plan to cover for one another, is that it? You little rascal! Do you want me to give you an impossible task tomorrow as well?”

“No! Just pretend I didn’t say anything at all.” He Caitou was scared after hearing the threat from Xuan Ziwen. He quickly added, “It’s definitely time for Yuhao to be knocked down and reminded of what is required to become a successful soul engineer. You should most definitely punish him to the best of your ability!”

“Are  you  still  human?  He’s  your  junior  brother,  and  yet you’re trying to get him into trouble. How can I let someone like you inherit my skills? You’d better watch how you carry yourself, or I’ll chase you out!”

 

“......”  He Caitou’s mouth twitched, but he knew there was nothing he could say.

As Xuan Ziwen watched his disciple who was lost for words, he let out a rare laugh. “Alright, let’s go and see how Yuhao will make a joke out of himself.”

As he spoke, he brought He Caitou to his laboratory.

While Xuan Ziwen was not expecting to see any results from Huo Yuhao, he had still handed the task to him. He never planned for Huo Yuhao to finish it in a single day. In his mind, he knew it should take at least ten days before Huo Yuhao could complete it.

Scarlet devil essence was no joke. Even if it was Xuan Ziwen

—a proper Titled Douluo—who was doing it, it would take at least three days. Even so, he would be adversely affected by the fire poison from the scarlet devil essence. The only reason why he dared to let Huo Yuhao play with the scarlet devil essence was because Huo Yuhao possessed Ultimate Ice. With this ability, he shouldn’t be hurt in the process of carving the metal.

 

Very soon, both of them arrived at the doorstep of the laboratory. However, Xuan Ziwen did not walk in directly. He merely poked his head in to see what Huo Yuhao was doing. But the moment he got a good look at what was going on inside, he exploded with rage.

“You spoiled rascal!” Xuan Ziwen cursed as he stomped into his laboratory.

Even though He Caitou did not know what was going on, he rushed into the laboratory behind Xuan Ziwen. Despite not knowing what Huo Yuhao had done, he knew from Xuan Ziwen’s look that he was probably very angry. Caitou had noticed how his stare suddenly turned steely, and decided to rush in to help de-escalate the situation.

The moment he stepped in through the door and saw what Huo Yuhao was doing, Caitou immediately understood why Xuan Ziwen was so angry.

Huo Yuhao was lying on the bench and sleeping. His breathing was unbelievably even, and his face was radiant a healthy flush. Anyone would be able to tell that he was taking a comfortable nap!

Xuan Ziwen’s hands were trembling with rage. He Caitou rushed forward and attempted to console him, “Teacher Xuan, please don’t be angry! Little junior brother must be very tired to have fallen asleep like this.” He Caitou definitely knew why Xuan Ziwen would be so angry. He hated it when his disciples did not focus on the work at hand when making soul tools. And falling asleep was definitely the biggest sin!

Even if the person who was sleeping was Huo Yuhao, Xuan Ziwen would explode in rage. Or rather, it was precisely because the person who was sleeping was Huo Yuhao that caused Xuan Ziwen to fly into a rage. My poor little junior brother, why did you fall asleep? Even if you wanted to steal a nap, you should at least have been more careful, and not gotten caught!

If looks could kill, Huo Yuhao would probably have withered there and then. After glaring at Huo Yuhao, Xuan Ziwen started to look around as though he was looking for fighters who could help him beat Huo Yuhao up. Recognizing Xuan Ziwen’s actions, He Caitou stepped forward and hugged Xuan

 

Ziwen before pleading, “Teacher Xuan, please don’t be rash! Please don’t be rash!”

Even at this stage, He Caitou was still controlling his voice out of fear of waking Huo Yuhao up. One could see how much brotherly love they had for one another.

But very soon, he realized that Xuan Ziwen’s body had stiffened. Caitou thought that the anger might have harmed his teacher’s body.

“Let go of me!” Xuan Ziwen started to speak in a very strange tone.

“Teacher Xuan, please don’t be rash! I know Yuhao failed you. Why don’t I wake him up for you to scold him?”

“Let go of me first.” Xuan Ziwen growled.

“No! I won’t! You’re a Titled Douluo. What if you kill Huo Yuhao?” He Caitou might be pleading, but his voice echoed the determination in his heart.

“I won’t hit him.” Xuan Ziwen replied coldly.

“Really?” He Caitou was a little doubtful of what he had just heard.

“If you still insist on not letting me go, the first thing I do once  I  break  free  will  be  to  chase  you  out!”  Xuan  Ziwen growled again.

“Alright…” He Caitou knew he could not go against his own teacher, and relented. After loosening his grip, he jumped before Xuan Ziwen and in front of Huo Yuhao. If he wanted to do anything to Huo Yuhao, he would have to go through him first.

But to Caitou’s surprise, Xuan Ziwen did not go straight for Huo Yuhao, nor did he attempt to lay his hands on him. Instead, he made his way to the other end of the bench in the laboratory. Caitou wasn’t sure what he was looking at.

With his curiosity piqued by his actions, He Caitou moved over and leaned in to steal a look. He realized there was a

 

furnace which was approximately one meter in diameter on the bench. It was a huge circular furnace four feet deep. Its ancient design looked majestic, and was surrounded by thick walls. There was a lid above which fit perfectly over the furnace. In fact, if not for the experience he had as a Class 8

soul engineer, he would have thought that the lid was part of the furnace. There was simply no crack or lines for any air to escape.

Is this the outer shell for the soul tool Teacher Xuan tasked Yuhao to build today? Didn’t he promise that Yuhao would definitely not be able to finish it today? Unless Yuhao has pulled off another stunt again?

With Caitou’s understanding of Huo Yuhao, he was certain that he would never submit an inferior product just to get things over with. This meant that Huo Yuhao must have completed the product before falling asleep. No wonder Teacher Xuan seems to have changed his mind on Huo Yuhao...

At this very instant, Xuan Ziwen bent down, then leapt up onto the bench. Because the pill furnace was too big, it was impossible to catch a glimpse of the complete thing from below.

 

The pill furnace was designed by Xuan Ziwen from scratch. Hence, he naturally knew where all the nooks and crannies were. After tapping some places at the top of the furnace, Xuan Ziwen activated the outer shell.

After being activated, the pill furnace released a gush of hot air, which instantly increased the temperature within the room by a few degrees.

The look on Xuan Ziwen’s face turned increasingly strange as a look of disbelief slowly replaced his previous look of anger.

“What?! How is it possible? I don’t believe it!” If he did not know for a fact that the Tang Sect only had one Class 9 soul engineer—himself—he would have thought that Huo Yuhao had found someone to do it for him. But this was simply impossible. Cultivation ability was not enough to build a complete outer shell. It also required a deep understanding of soul tools. In fact, there were only ten soul engineers that Xuan Ziwen knew who could finish the outer shell in a single day. Most importantly, all of them were in the Sun Moon Empire.

How did this brat do it? Unless he’s already become a nine- ringed Titled Douluo?

No, that’s impossible! Xuan Ziwen took a deep breath as he leapt off the bench.

He Caitou scrutinized his teacher’s expression and knew his guess was correct. He broke into an awkward smile. “It seems like talent is more important than hard work. Of course, this doesn’t undermine the importance of hard work! Teacher Xuan, you don’t have to say anything to me. I’m going to get my dinner now. You can chat with Yuhao without worrying about me!” After finishing his sentence, Caitou skipped off.

As he stared at Caitou’s back, Xuan Ziwen also broke into an awkward smile. He was originally the one who had wanted to teach Huo Yuhao a lesson. But somehow, it now seemed like Huo Yuhao would be the one teaching him a lesson!

As he thought about this, he could not help but feel a little frustrated.

While all of this was going on, Huo Yuhao started to wake up. After all, it would have been very difficult for anyone to sleep through this commotion. As he opened his blurry eyes, he noticed Xuan Ziwen standing in the room.

“Teacher Xuan, you’ve returned. What time is it now?” To be honest, Huo Yuhao did not consciously decide to fall asleep. He was just too tired after absorbing all the memories and going through them to learn the technique. His soul felt drained, and hence he fell asleep unknowingly. Of course, all of this was

after he had persevered through the task at hand.

Even though he was fully awake now, the mysterious carving technique still appeared to be flitting before his eyes, as though he was still going through the newly-acquired memories.

Xuan Ziwen’s face did not look very friendly as he asked, “Did you make this outer shell?”

Huo Yuhao nodded and replied, “Yes!”

Xuan Ziwen asked, “What about the leftover scarlet devil essence?”

“I put it away over there.”  Huo Yuhao pointed towards a corner of the laboratory.

 

Xuan  Ziwen  spoke  calmly,  “Is  this  the  kind  of  work  you submit? I didn’t know you accepted lousy and inferior products.”

“Huh?” Huo Yuhao’s jaw dropped. With his newly learned Rain Dragon’s Dance Carving Technique, the unbelievably sharp Ghostcarving Godly Blade, and his carving skills, the product was perfect in his eyes! In fact, Huo Yuhao believed that this outer shell was the most exquisite soul tool he had ever built. How could it be lousy and inferior?

“It’s getting dark. Let’s go and grab our dinner.” After saying this, Xuan Ziwen turned and left. He did not ask any more questions because he was afraid that his heart might not be able to take it. However, he had completely recognized Huo Yuhao as a student of Shrek Academy in his heart.

What a freak! Ahhhhh!

During dinnertime, Huo Yuhao bumped into He Caitou, and he noticed how Caitou’s stare was a little more peculiar than usual. Nonetheless, he did not think too much about it. He naturally looked for Tang Wutong the moment Teacher Xuan

 

gave him permission to leave for dinner. With Wutong around, how could he notice anyone else?

After finishing his dinner, Huo Yuhao went over to look for Xuan Ziwen and pleaded cheerfully, “Teacher Xuan, now that I have finished the task you have given me, do you think I can go back to my room to cultivate tonight? You must understand that at the end of the day, I am still a soul master. I must not neglect my own training!”

As he looked at Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong, who was holding his hand, Xuan Ziwen nodded unwillingly before leaving.

Even until now, Xuan Ziwen was not fully convinced of Yuhao’s work. The lad must have played a clever trick! There must be something wrong with the outer shell!

Huo Yuhao naturally did not know what Teacher Xuan was thinking. He was happily galloping away with Tang Wutong back to his room. The scent from Tang Wutong’s body was enough to make him feel very comfortable.

 

Tang Wutong’s face started to blush as her heart started to beat faster and faster.

Once they reached his room, Huo Yuhao quickly closed the door and activated a spiritual barrier, which cut off all connections within the room from the outer world.

Tang Wutong naturally knew what he was doing as she took a few steps back in surprise.

“What are you doing?”

Huo Yuhao gave her a naughty laugh. “Have you heard of the story of the big bad wolf and the sheep? Today, the big bad wolf will not let you go!”

Tang Wutong was amused by Huo Yuhao’s words as she burst into laughter. “When a rabbit gets anxious, it will bite too!”

Huo Yuhao’s smile became even more wicked as he replied, “Bring it on! I’m not afraid of you!”

 

As he spoke, he pounced towards Tang Wutong like a hungry wolf.

Tang Wutong giggled and stepped aside agilely. Her figure flickered as she completely avoided Huo Yuhao’s pounce. It was a perfect execution of the Tang Sect’s Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track!

“The Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track? I know that too.” Huo Yuhao laughed as he increased his speed. Countless figures started to pounce towards Tang Wutong.

Tang Wutong was shocked beyond belief. How bad can this guy get? Huo Yuhao not only used the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, but also executed Imitation and Spiritual Interference. This filled the whole room with multiple Huo Yuhaos. It was immensely difficult for Tang Wutong to differentiate between the real and fake ones in such a short period of time.

After all, she could not punch them to tell them apart, right?

 

Hence, before she could even react, she was already in Huo Yuhao’s embrace.

His little sheep was finally in his embrace! Huo Yuhao was unbelievably excited! After they had finally reunited, he had not shared any particularly intimate moments with Tang Wutong. Now that he had finally hugged her, she had nowhere to run or hide. As he gazed at her blushing face, Huo Yuhao found himself unable to resist the temptation before him. Very quickly, he moved his lips towards hers.

As their lips came closer, it seemed like the room was about to become a stage for the pair of passionate lovers.

However, just when Huo Yuhao’s lips were about a millimeter away from Wutong’s, Huo Yuhao felt a frightening aura from her body, following which, a golden light flashed before his eyes as he was thrown across the room and into the wall by a powerful force. After colliding with the wall at the far end of the room, he slid down the surface of the wall like a wall painting that was falling off.

This force not only acted on his body, but also impacted his soul. He felt as though he had just suffered a spiritual attack—

 

something he was not unfamiliar with. His body felt as though it had just been rammed by a mountain.

The pain that was rippling through his soul and body turned Huo Yuhao’s face into a wrinkled mess. W-What just happened…?

A scream escaped from Tang Wutong’s mouth as she flew over to Huo Yuhao’s side to help him up.

“Yuhao, are you alright?” Tang Wutong’s concerned voice made Huo Yuhao’s heart ache. He squeezed out a smile and replied, “My dear, how could you be so cruel? Even if you don’t want me to kiss you, there’s no need to be so violent, right?”

It was as if the fiery passion in his heart had been doused by a pail of cold water. The pain which his body was feeling was secondary compared to the pain felt by his heart!

Tang Wutong’s eyes started to become teary as she lamented, “No, no, it wasn’t me. I didn’t stop you from kissing me. It was my father who didn’t want you to kiss me.”

“What?” Huo Yuhao’s jaw dropped. This concerns my future father-in-law? As he saw the tears in Tang Wutong’s eyes, his heart softened immediately. He asked, “So what’s going on?”

Tang Wutong raised her hand and pointed at the faint golden trident mark on her forehead. She explained, “My father is worried that I would be taken advantage of in the outside

 

world, and left a seal on my body. If anyone were to attempt to take advantage of my body, the rune would attack the person automatically.”

Huo  Yuhao  gaped  with  wonder.  “Then  why  was  the  seal ineffective when we were facing the Dragon God Douluo?”

Tang Wutong awkwardly replied, “Well, he wasn’t intending to violate me…”

“Err…” This future father-in-law doesn’t seem to be very helpful… Why must he interfere with the things couples do?! Even though Huo Yuhao was fairly furious, there was nothing which he could really say about it. He could only console Tang Wutong, “Come on, Wutong... Don’t cry... Don’t worry about it. I’m not blaming you. Look at how strong my body is! It’s just another fall.”

“I didn’t know that’s how things would unfold,” Tang Wutong replied apologetically, “When my father gave me the seal, I still hadn’t regained my memory. I really didn’t know… I will definitely ask my father to remove the seal the next time I see him.”

 

Even though Huo Yuhao knew he shouldn’t be too anxious about this, he still couldn’t help but ask when Tang Wutong would be able to see her father again.

She replied, “I really don’t know. It’s so hard to find my father. No one really knows where he is.”

Huo Yuhao felt his heart wrench after hearing her reply. My future father-in-law, how could you do this to me…? It’s one thing for you to be hard to locate, but it’s an entirely different matter to interfere with my blissful life with Wutong!

However, Tang Wutong added, “Anyways, he will definitely appear on the day of our marriage.”

Marriage? This term seemed to be a fairly distant concept for Huo Yuhao. After pausing for a while, he replied, “Wutong, then when shall we get married? Both of us have been through so much, and it has taken so much from me to find you back. Why don’t you marry me now? I can’t spend a day of my life without you.”

 

Tang Wutong appeared to be lost as she replied, “I will never leave you! Besides, we are still a little young to be married to one another, right?”

Huo Yuhao sighed in disbelief. My dear, I am already slow enough. How did you also become slow after losing your memories?

Before you lost your memory, we could still at the very least kiss one another. But now, we can’t even kiss anymore.

However, at this very instant, Huo Yuhao suddenly had an idea. His eyes appeared to be energized by the idea that hit him. “My dear, do you know exactly how powerful your seal is? It seems like it has no qualms with me hugging you.”

Tang Wutong blushed and replied, “How would I know?”

Huo Yuhao was evidently excited by her reply. He replied, “Why don’t we test it by doing some experiments? When the people above us implement restrictions on people like us, there are bound to be ways for us to circumvent these things. Perhaps your father is not as tyrannical as we think?”

Tang Wutong was very sympathetic towards Huo Yuhao after his fall earlier. She could not bear to reject him after seeing the longing in his eyes as she nodded to give her consent.

Huo Yuhao was over the moon as he exclaimed, “My dear is still the best!”

As he finished his sentence, he pounced towards her like a hungry wolf!

“Ahhhhhh!” After three seconds, when Huo Yuhao increased the intensity of his hug, his scream could be heard once again. Fortunately, he had set up the spiritual barrier earlier.

And screams were destined to be part of the theme for the night!

It appeared that kisses were not allowed. Overly intense hugs were also not allowed. Certain areas on the body were also not allowed to be touched. They were not even allowed to lie side- by-side on the bed to rest. Huo Yuhao was merely lying on the

 

bed to alleviate the pain in his body when the golden light shone again!

In the end, Huo Yuhao could only focus on cultivating the Haodong Power with Tang Wutong on the bed while nursing the bruises he had sustained in his experiments. It was only when they were cultivating that the strange seal did not act up.

Huo Yuhao was furious! Damn it! How can my future father- in-law be so unreasonable? Can someone tell me how can I not be angry?

But he knew it was futile to be angry about it. There was nothing he could do about it. All he could do was suffer in silence and wait till Wutong’s father returned. Huo Yuhao had made up his mind to formally propose to Tang Wutong only after he had achieved a certain level of learning and understanding of soul tools under Xuan Ziwen, and graduated from Shrek Academy.

However, there was a certain sense of unease which constantly lurked at the back of his head. A father-in-law who leaves such seals on his daughter will probably be difficult to deal with...

And he knew well enough that this future father-in-law was probably very powerful!

Huo Yuhao had previously asked Tang Wutong about him, but she was adamant to keep his information a secret. She explained how knowing more about her father would only damage their future relationship.

Hence, Huo Yuhao had no choice but to stop asking.

Thus, what was meant to be a blissful night ended up as a night full of injuries for Huo Yuhao. Fortunately, he had good regenerative abilities and took only a night to recover. Nonetheless, it was still very painful for him to not be able to touch his loved one.

It was only at the next morning when Huo Yuhao finally managed to console himself. No matter what, it was already a lot better to have Wutong beside him than not having her at all. As long as she was well, there was no good reason for him to be unhappy.

 

“You’ve  finally  arrived,  eh?”   Xuan  Ziwen  asked  in  an unfriendly tone as he glared at Huo Yuhao, who was just entering the laboratory, with blood-red eyes.

Huo Yuhao wasn’t in a very good mood either. Even though he didn’t have bloodshot eyes, he was visibly tired.

“Can you stop acting so uppity about it, you little rascal?” Xuan Ziwen suddenly growled.

“Huh? When did I start doing that?” Huo Yuhao was confused by Xuan Ziwen’s words.

Xuan Ziwen snorted before jabbing at the outer shell. He asked, “Tell me! How did you do it? How did you do it in just one day? One single day. I don’t believe you managed to pull it off without getting any external help.”

Huo Yuhao sat on the chair and answered, “I can’t do anything about it if you don’t believe me. You can only blame yourself for not being around when I was carving it yesterday.”

 

“You!” Xuan Ziwen had spent the entire night trying to find flaws in the outer shell, to no avail.

“Alright. It seems like you’re a tough nut to crack, eh? Now I want you to follow the papers and start on the formation arrays. You will be in charge of the entire process from now on.” Xuan Ziwen jabbed at the thick stack of formation arrays and informed Huo Yuhao of his new task viciously.

Huo Yuhao’s eyes widened in disbelief as he replied, “You can’t do this to me, Teacher Xuan! This is a Class 9 soul tool. I have just barely grazed the door of a Class 8 soul engineer.”

“Aren’t you very capable?”  Xuan Ziwen replied coldly, “Just get on with it. I will be sure to sit around and watch you materialize it. This pill furnace has a total of thirteen main formation arrays. Every single one of them is formed from a combination of nine Class 8 formation arrays. I will only let you leave after you make at least one of them. If not, you can prepare to sleep, eat and shit in this laboratory.”

Coupled with last night’s unfortunate events, Xuan Ziwen’s tyrannical instructional method had angered Huo Yuhao.

 

“So be it! So what will happen if I am able to construct one formation array?” Huo Yuhao asked rebelliously.

Xuan Ziwen let out a sinister laugh. “If you are able to make one of them, you will then carry on and complete the other twelve formation arrays. Following which, you will assist me to assemble the pill furnace. When all of the above is done, I will give you a day off.”

If not for his fear of wasting the blood in his stomach, Huo Yuhao would have spat a mouthful of blood onto Xuan Ziwen’s face.

“Who’s  afraid  of  that?  I  don’t  believe  it’s  impossible  to finish!”  Huo  Yuhao  gave  a  defiant  answer.  After  witnessing how powerful the Rain Dragon’s Dance Carving Technique was, Huo Yuhao was brimming with confidence.

The Ghostcarving Godly Blade was unbelievably powerful and mystical. Huo Yuhao not only made the outer shell yesterday, but also did a series of experiments with the blade. The result of his experiments proved that the blade was not only invincibly sharp, but also blind towards any element.

 

This meant that it was able to slice through any material effortlessly regardless of its element. Huo Yuhao believed that it would not be unfair to rank this as the number one carving blade after witnessing its dominating display.

One must understand that it was of the utmost importance for soul engineers to understand the element and type of material that was being handled in order to apply the appropriate carving techniques during the construction of soul tools. Every different kind of rare metal had its own special set of considerations. They were all tough in different ways. Coupled with their specific element types, it was extraordinarily difficult for soul engineers to exact their designs onto these metals.

Powerful soul tools tended to utilize rare metals which were particularly strong and unorthodox. Their unorthodox characteristics usually meant they required unorthodox methods. That was why Class 9 soul engineers required the abilities of a nine-ringed Titled Douluo. It did not only require one to possess a Titled Douluo’s ability to use them, but also the copious amount of soul power to impress and carve on these rare metals. Most importantly, high level formation arrays required one to finish the entire construction process in a single attempt.

 

The Ghostcarving Godly Blade had undeniably solved this problem to a huge extent. Huo Yuhao no longer had to consider the different element types of the different rare metals, and this was enough to grant him a huge advantage in the construction of formation arrays. Besides, he had the support of the Rain Dragon’s Dance Carving Technique—an equally

powerful carving technique.

Huo Yuhao held up the first diagram for the formation array and studied it carefully. One first had to understand the formation array in order to begin carving it. How was a soul engineer supposed to build something without understanding it? He or she would not know where to pay greater attention to.

And this studying of diagrams consumed almost half of the day.

Because Xuan Ziwen wanted to know what the mysterious method Huo Yuhao employed to build soul tools was, he planned to stay for the whole day to not only invigilate the process, but also to satiate his curiosity.

Chapter 516: The Rain Dragon's Dance

However, Huo Yuhao managed to sit for half a day. Xuan Ziwen was rather pleased with that. At least this kid isn’t impatient, and is quite clear about the basics. Given his spiritual power and intelligence, it shouldn’t be too difficult for him to understand the core formation of a Class 9 soul tool.

However, Xuan Ziwen started to be unable to take it after observing Huo Yuhao for some time. He didn’t sleep almost the entire night! He was feeling a little fatigued by now.

As a result, he unwittingly leaned on the laboratory desk and fell asleep.

He slept rather well. The Tang Sect’s Soul Tool Hall was now on the right track. What Xuan Ziwen needed to attend to was only some of his own research. He was much more relaxed compared to before. However, he still had high expectations for himself. It was his first time sleeping in the day for many years.

If he slept well, he would be in better spirits too.

When Xuan Ziwen woke up from his nap, he only felt recharged and extremely comfortable.

However, there was no one in the laboratory when he opened his eyes. Yes, there was no one else apart from him. Huo Yuhao had left to some unknown place.

“This rascal. Did he flee?”  Xuan Ziwen was astonished. If Huo Yuhao really wanted to leave, he really had no choice too. If he ran away, Xuan Ziwen was certainly unable to bring him back!

Xuan Ziwen leapt up in astonishment, and rushed out to find Huo Yuhao.

At this moment, the door to the laboratory opened, and Huo Yuhao walked leisurely in.

“Rascal, what are you doing? Did my words fall on deaf ears?

Didn’t I say that you can’t go out?”

 

Huo Yuhao snapped, “Teacher Xuan, you told me to eat, poop and sleep in here. However, I must be able to do all these first! You don’t even have a grain of rice here. I can’t possibly starve myself. I’m the flower of this empire, yet to fully bloom. I need nutrition. I only went to get some food from the canteen. I

brought some for you too.”

As he spoke, he carefully placed the lunchboxes in his hand on the table before taking one box for himself and digging in.

Xuan Ziwen didn’t even realize that he had maligned Huo Yuhao, and only grabbed one lunchbox before starting to stuff himself with food. The food in the Tang Sect had always been good. After sleeping an entire afternoon, it felt really comfortable to stuff himself with delicacies!

Very soon, he finished all his food. To defend his honor as a man, Xuan Ziwen took the initiative to clear the boxes and utensils.

As he cleared up, he asked Huo Yuhao, “Have you learned something after seeing the blueprints for an entire afternoon?”

 

“Oh, I’m doing pretty well. I’m getting ready to start on my second core formation.” Huo Yuhao replied.

Xuan  Ziwen  glared  at  him  and  said,  “It’s  not  good  to  be greedy. Digest the first one before going to the next. Each of these thirteen core formations is different. Each of them…”

As he spoke until here, he couldn’t continue anymore. This was because Huo Yuhao had stuffed a metal ball the size of a tangerine into his hand.

This metal ball was hollow, and there were lights shining inside of it. There seemed to be some kind of circulation within its complicated structure, based on the principles of heaven and earth.

“This, this…you’ve come up with this first core formation?” Xuan Ziwen’s voice changed slightly. He was just like an adolescent whose voice broke for the first time.

Huo Yuhao answered, “Yes! It’s not that difficult. I’m already on my second one.” As he spoke, he started reading the second blueprint.

Xuan Ziwen grabbed the first core formation and started to frantically search for something on the laboratory table. Indeed, he found a patch of dense powder. It was something that was definitely left behind during the creation of a core formation.

Huo Yuhao took an afternoon to understand the core formation of a Class 9 soul tool and finish constructing it.

This time, Xuan Ziwen was the one who wanted to vomit blood. He knew that he wasn’t capable of this. The creation of the core formation didn’t drain as much soul power as carving the outer shell. However, the details were much finer.

He managed to complete it? No, that’s impossible!

Xuan Ziwen quickly raised the core formation in his hand and used all the methods that he knew to analyze its structure. He did all he could to find a flaw or a problem with it.

Two hours passed, but he didn’t find anything wrong. There was no problem!

How is this possible? How is this possible? Whatever was going on with Huo Yuhao completely violated the principles of a soul master’s development. Yes, it was a violation.

Xuan Ziwen couldn’t believe that this was real. He took a serious look at Huo Yuhao, who was invested in the second blueprint by now. His heart was contorting. However, Xuan Ziwen was determined not to miss out on watching Huo Yuhao create his second core formation. He had to watch it and find out for himself how Huo Yuhao managed to magically create a core formation in such a short period of time. He had to have some special method.

A determined Xuan Ziwen was full of willpower. He just sat there and opened his eyes wide as he watched Huo Yuhao. He didn’t neglect the smallest of details. He was just watching like that.

Huo Yuhao was a little creeped out as he was being watched so intently. He occasionally took a glance at Xuan Ziwen. However, he still thought that the blueprint he was reading was much more mesmerizing.

 

He only put the blueprint of the second core formation down in the evening.

He stood up and stretched. He even let out a comfortable groan.

“Are you done?” Xuan Ziwen asked.

Huo Yuhao nodded.

Xuan Ziwen asked, “Do you understand?”

“Yes.” Huo Yuhao nodded seriously.

“What are you waiting for then? Why aren’t you striking when the iron is hot, and working on the core formation?” Xuan Ziwen screamed.

Huo Yuhao appeared a little indignant. “But it’s dinnertime!

I’ll go and grab dinner first. I’ll start after dinner.”

 

Xuan Ziwen was anxious as he said, “I can help you collect dinner!” As he spoke, he turned into a complete gentleman and left the laboratory with the lunchboxes.

However, there was some discrepancy in their judgment of when mealtime was, such that Xuan Ziwen waited a good fifteen minutes in the canteen before he came back with food. He was even rushing the staff in the canteen. Along with some delays in the journey, he took a total of thirty minutes.

Xuan Ziwen was a little depressed. If I knew it was going to take so long, I would have let that kid go and collect dinner. At least he can relax for a bit. I wonder if he has started with the core formation. It’s fine if he’s started, but if he’s skiving while I’m collecting dinner… hmph!

As he returned, Xuan Ziwen saw Huo Yuhao sitting exactly where he was before. Huo Yuhao was shaking his head, as if he were thinking of something. However, there was nothing in his hands. They were empty.

“Well done, rascal. Do you really take me as your manual laborer? You didn’t even do anything at all.” Xuan Ziwen was unhappy as he threw the lunchboxes at Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao jumped in shock. He quickly caught the lunchboxes. “Teacher, what are you doing?”

Xuan Ziwen was furious, “I went to collect dinner so that you’d have more time to work on your core formation. I didn’t leave you to rest!”

“I’m done!” Huo Yuhao appeared very innocent as he spoke.

“You’re done? Where?” Xuan Ziwen was in disbelief.

Huo Yuhao grabbed a metal ball from the side of the table and presented it to Xuan Ziwen, “Here!”

Xuan Ziwen subconsciously received the metal ball. He lowered his head and took a look at it. When he saw it, his eyes opened wide. This…

He couldn’t be bothered with scolding Huo Yuhao anymore. He quickly sat down at one side and analyzed the metal ball. A sneaky smile flashed across Huo Yuhao’s face. He placed the

 

lunchboxes on the table and started to dig in. He had been using a lot of his energy over the past day.

After he finished his food, he said very naturally, “Teacher Xuan, I’m almost done with all my work today. I’ll go back and rest first. Goodbye!”

“Okay.” Xuan Ziwen’s attention was all on the metal ball. He agreed subconsciously, and Huo Yuhao quickly fled.

Xuan Ziwen didn’t even react. He had mentioned that he wasn’t going to let Huo Yuhao go earlier, but he couldn’t be bothered now, as he was too dumbfounded by the metal ball in his hand.

This was the second core formation out of the thirteen core formations needed for the pill furnace.

A complete second core formation! Just by touching it, Xuan Ziwen could sense from the soul power undulations from the ball that it was free of problems. It was exactly what he wanted. He checked the details carefully, and hoped to find some kind of flaw with it. However, everything was in vain.

 

This core formation was perfect. It was comparable to the first core formation earlier.

How is this possible? How is it possible! This is a core formation for a Class 9 soul tool!

Even though a pill furnace wasn’t considered one of the more complex Class 9 soul tools and only barely made it as a Class 9 soul tool, it was still a Class 9 soul tool.

Generally speaking, a Class 9 soul engineer would need at least three months to half a year to complete a Class 9 soul tool, even if he was completely prepared. One of the most important reasons was that the core formations of a Class 9 soul tool were simply too complex. Some mistakes were bound to be made during the process of creating them. When the soul engineer had to start over, resources and time would be wasted. As a result, the soul engineer had to be extremely focused, and tried to keep his energy level at its maximum. This was so that he could finish the core formations and ensure the greatest success rate.

Xuan Ziwen hadn’t had time to teach Huo Yuhao yet. He wanted to let Huo Yuhao fail once first, and use the failure to

 

teach him. This would make him remember his mistakes more clearly. However, who knew that Huo Yuhao wouldn’t give him the chance to let him fail.

The entire process of creating the core formation was almost flawless. Huo Yuhao managed to produce two core formations in just one day. Xuan Ziwen believed that he was very talented. However, he knew that he couldn’t possibly create two completely different core formations in one day. In his best condition, it was already remarkable if he could finish one core formation. And after he finished, he would still need some time to rest.

Is this kid even human?

How did he even manage to do this? Thirty minutes. I only took thirty minutes to collect dinner. Did he actually manage to finish during those thirty minutes?

When Xuan Ziwen thought until here, he lifted his head and shouted, “Yuhao, tell me honestly. How did you…” Just as he spoke until here, he realized that the laboratory was already empty.

 

It was only now that he realized he had agreed to let Huo Yuhao leave. He was instantly frustrated. This rascal knows how to exploit any opportunity!

Xuan Ziwen believed in action. A few minutes later, he appeared outside Huo Yuhao’s room. “Bang, bang, bang!”  He started to bang on Huo Yuhao’s door.

Tang Wutong was the one who opened the door.

After seeing Xuan Ziwen, she immediately raised her hand to signal him to hush.

Xuan Ziwen was stunned, and softly asked, “Where’s Huo Yuhao?”

Tang Wutong whispered, “He’s asleep. He seems very tired. He went to sleep immediately after he returned.” As she said, she pointed inside the room and opened the door wide.

Xuan Ziwen took a glance inside. It was true. Huo Yuhao was sprawled on his bed, fast asleep.

It seemed like he had overused his brain. For some reason, Xuan Ziwen felt more appeased when he saw Huo Yuhao in this state.

“Forget it, we’ll talk tomorrow.” Xuan Ziwen turned around and left in annoyance. Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong were in the room together. He had no business being there. Although he was very crazy about his research, he couldn’t possibly drag Huo Yuhao out.

He turned around and left.

Tang Wutong closed the door and walked to the bedside before sitting down.

There was still a slight smile on Huo Yuhao’s face. He had just returned, and fallen into a deep sleep. He had finished two core formations of a Class 9 soul tool in one day. Even though he had magical carving techniques and the Ghostcarving Blade, as well as his own supernatural spiritual power, it was still a great burden on him!

 

During the entire process, Huo Yuhao was very focused. If it were someone else, they would have collapsed. Reading the blueprints were already very exhausting. That was something the Ghostcarving Blade couldn’t help with.

In just a day, he had finished two core formations. That satisfied feeling supported him, but he couldn’t take it when he came back.

Tang Wutong felt a little heartache as she caressed his face and looked his slightly pale face. She lay down close beside him and hugged his waist from behind. She pressed her face against his wide back and closed her eyes.

One minute later.

“Bang——"

“Ah——"

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I forgot.”

 

Someone was full of tears!

On the second morning, Huo Yuhao went into the laboratory rubbing his head. Even though the bruise that he had sustained the previous night had disappeared due to his amazing recovery abilities, the pain still remained.

My life is so bitter! He sighed.

Who can I blame? Wutong? She was only trying to get intimate. Blame my father-in-law? I don’t have the guts…

I can only blame myself for being unlucky!

His good mood from finishing two core formations instantly dissipated.

“Rascal, you’re finally here. Quickly, start on the third core formation.” Xuan Ziwen hands were on his waist and he jumped in front of Huo Yuhao. This gave Huo Yuhao such a scare that he almost whacked Xuan Ziwen.

 

While Xuan Ziwen was a Titled Douluo, he might not be able to survive Huo Yuhao’s hit.

“Teacher Xuan, can’t you just let me rest longer?” Huo Yuhao revealed a bitter smile on his face as he walked into the laboratory. He then sat down on a chair.

Xuan Ziwen couldn’t be bothered with his condition. He only stuffed the blueprint of the third core formation into Huo Yuhao’s hands.

“Quick, quit the bullshit.”

Huo Yuhao picked up the blueprint, as he was afraid of Xuan Ziwen for some unknown reason, and started reading it.

Xuan Ziwen had been wracking his brains for an entire night, but he still hadn’t discovered what method Huo Yuhao had used to create his core formations. He didn’t even have the slightest of clues.

 

This was why he had been waiting here since the morning. He was waiting to see how Huo Yuhao managed to create the core formations. He was determined. He had already gotten someone to collect lunch. No matter what, he was going to remain here with Huo Yuhao. He had to see how Huo Yuhao managed to finish such complex core formations in such a

short period of time.

Very soon, an entire morning passed, and lunch arrived.

“Wow, it smells great. Let’s eat, let’s eat.”  Huo Yuhao put down his blueprint and started to eat.

Xuan  Ziwen  glared  at  him.  “Are  you  done  with  the blueprint?”

“Oh,  I’m  not  done  yet.  I’m  eating  first.”  Huo  Yuhao  was eating very soundly.

“How much longer will you need?” Xuan Ziwen probed.

“I’m not sure!” Huo Yuhao answered subconsciously.

“Piak!”  Xuan Ziwen slapped his palm against Huo Yuhao’s head, and Huo Yuhao’s face was smacked down into his lunchbox. “You don’t know?” His voice was very high right now.

Huo Yuhao indignantly lifted his head. One side of his face was covered in grains of rice. “Teacher Xuan, what are you doing?”

Xuan Ziwen was infuriated. “I’ve been waiting for half a day, but you’re telling me that you don’t know when you’re going to be done?”

Huo Yuhao appeared very indignant, and his eyes were filled with tears. “But I really don’t know! This is a blueprint of a core formation of a Class 9 soul tool. I’m a Class 8 soul engineer. Isn’t it normal that I can’t comprehend it in just half a day?”

“Ugh…”

 

“In addition, today’s blueprint is a little more complex. I think I’ll need at least two days to finish it. I might not even be able to finish reading it. I was prepared to ask you about some of the things that I don’t know after I have my lunch.”

“Ugh…”

“Didn’t  you  finish  two  core  formations  yesterday?”  Xuan Ziwen was unconvinced.

“I was more familiar with those two core formations. Furthermore, they were comparatively easier! Today’s core formation is a little more complex. It’s the core of the entire core! How can I understand it so easily? I’m not an immortal.” Huo Yuhao argued self-righteously.

“This…” Xuan Ziwen didn’t know how to respond.

Huo Yuhao lowered his head and plucked the grains of rice off his face. He sobbed as he muttered to himself, “I’ve been working so hard, but I’m not even allowed to eat. I even have to sustain a beating from you now. I can’t live any longer. I’ve

 

forgotten everything I read in the morning because of your slap. What should I do?”

Xuan Ziwen’s face turned black…

After half a day of being grumpy, Xuan Ziwen eventually pulled his own lunchbox over and started to stuff himself.

Huo Yuhao was wide-eyed in shock as he thought to himself.

Has he turned his anger into appetite?

Xuan Ziwen started later, but ate very quickly. He managed to finish his meal before Huo Yuhao. After finishing, he burped and sternly said, “Continue reading. I’m going out for a walk. Once you understand the blueprint, call me before you start on the core formation. I want to watch you. Do you understand?”

“Yes, so you just want to see me work on the core formation.

You should have said so earlier.”

Xuan Ziwen’s face turned black again. He decided to immediately leave this sad and angry place before he was

 

driven mad.

It was only after Xuan Ziwen left the laboratory that Huo Yuhao revealed a smile. He had to accumulate some of the surprise to achieve the greatest effect. Teacher Xuan, don’t be too anxious.

The truth was that he couldn’t finish a Class 9 soul tool in such a short period of time even if he was a genius.

Huo Yuhao took a good three days before he managed to finish reading the blueprint of this third core formation. During this period of time, he received a lot of guidance from Xuan Ziwen. After these three days, Xuan Ziwen was much more appeased. Huo Yuhao’s understanding of core formations still left him rather pleased. At least, he felt that he wasn’t wasting his time teaching him.

Draining his energy was actually great for increasing Huo Yuhao’s spiritual power. Many calculations and simulations were needed for the core formations. Huo Yuhao relied on his extraordinary spiritual power to maintain the intensity of his calculations. This was why he could understand the blueprints

 

in such a short period of time. Regarding this, Xuan Ziwen was secretly in awe, even though he didn’t say it.

It’s not easy having such a disciple!

“I’m about to start.” Huo Yuhao looked at Xuan Ziwen.

Huo Yuhao had asked for a rest after he managed to comprehend the blueprint. It was already after dinner now. He adjusted himself and reached his peak state.

Even though this third core formation wasn’t the most difficult of all the core formations, it was still one of the most difficult to create. If he could overcome this hurdle, he would be close to creating a Class 9 soul tool.

Xuan Ziwen was even more nervous than Huo Yuhao. Was it possible to create a Class 9 soul tool even if one only had eight rings? At least, nothing like this had ever happened before. How could Huo Yuhao maintain the intricate carvings using his blade for such a long period of time? This was what Xuan Ziwen really wanted to find out.

 

“Let’s begin.” Xuan Ziwen said. “Don’t rush, take your time. There are some complex parts where it’s better for you to stop than to rush. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”  Huo  Yuhao  acknowledged  his  words,  and  placed  a square piece of rare metal, which was around fifteen centimeters long, on the laboratory desk. After this, he stretched and shut his eyes. He focused himself.

Xuan Ziwen stood to one side and retracted his aura. He was afraid that even a streak of his aura would affect Huo Yuhao.

At this moment, Huo Yuhao opened both his hands. There was a sharp look in his eyes. After this…

He turned his head and smiled at Xuan Ziwen, “Teacher, I’m really going to start.”

“…” If one’s stare could kill, Huo Yuhao would be completely filled with holes now.

Just as Xuan Ziwen was about to explode in anger, Huo Yuhao made a move.

He lifted his right hand and covered that piece of rare metal. Xuan Ziwen immediately stopped himself from saying what he wanted to say. He held it back so hard that his face turned red. He was truly in discomfort.

However, he focused his gaze in the next moment. He could clearly see a streak of dark-blue flame dancing on Huo Yuhao’s fingertips. He only gently rubbed his right hand over that piece of rare metal before a layer of fine powder fell and scattered proportionally around the piece of rare metal.

This…

 

Xuan Ziwen was the one who had chosen this piece of rare metal. Of course he knew how resilient it was. However, Huo Yuhao didn’t seem to have summoned a lot of his soul power. Golden lights flashed in his eyes, as if he had used his Spirit Eyes. What were the dark-blue flames that danced on his fingertips?

As a Class 9 soul engineer, Xuan Ziwen was also very sharp. When he focused his gaze, he clearly saw a small carving blade moving between Huo Yuhao’s fingers. This blade emanated a dark-blue light. As Huo Yuhao’s fingers were too agile and his movements were too quick, it seemed like dark-blue flames dancing on Huo Yuhao’s fingertips.

What carving blade was this?

Xiuan Ziwen naturally knew what carving blades Huo Yuhao had. The most special among them all was his Life Guardian Blade. It was just that it was a little weird to use it as a carving blade after it grew bigger. Huo Yuhao usually used normal carving blades, or his own Darkgolden Terrorclaws. After all, the sharpness of his terrorclaws exceeded most other carving blades. He could even use all five of his fingers and control them as freely as he wanted to.

 

It was his first time seeing this dark-blue carving blade. Suddenly, Xuan Ziwen guessed that Huo Yuhao was probably able to finish the carving of the core formations in such a short period of time because of this carving blade.

What happened next proved Xuan Ziwen’s guess.

Huo Yuhao’s right hand kept on sweeping over the surface of the rare metal, while his left hand was performing some auxiliary work. He made use of the tools on the laboratory desk and adjusted the position of the piece of metal.

Xuan Ziwen couldn’t see clearly. He had already focused on his attention, but he discovered that he still couldn’t detect any signs of the carving blade making carvings as Huo Yuhao moved his fingers.

What left him very impressed was that Huo Yuhao was very precise with every cut he made even though he was so quick. The powder that scattered around was proportionally arranged around the perimeter of the ball. There weren’t any signs of messiness. His carving technique was indeed magical!

 

In fact, Xuan Ziwen knew many Class 9 soul engineers from the Sun Moon Empire. However, he was entirely sure that the technique that Huo Yuhao was using now was certainly not the style of those Class 9 soul engineers. Furthermore, the piece of rare metal resembled a piece of tofu under his carving blade. In just a while, the rough shape of the core formation was already achieved.

At times, that dark-blue flame slashed down. At other times, it was like a thin needle that pierced the rare metal. Occasionally, it manifested itself as countless streaks of light. Xuan Ziwen was dazzled as he watched.

Godly skill, it’s a godly skill!

Xuan Ziwen found it more and more difficult to breathe. He did his best to control it, but his heartbeat was getting faster and faster. Such a carving technique was like a godly skill. When did Huo Yuhao learn such a mysterious and unpredictable carving technique? It’s too magical. With such a carving technique, it was no wonder he could carve the core formation of a Class 9 soul tool, even given his abilities as a Class 8 soul engineer.

 

No, it’s not just his carving technique. There must be something wrong with his carving blade as well. Where does such a sharp carving blade exist? Even the number one carving blade on the leaderboard is only the best because of its elemental type. It can carry up to three elements at once. But

Huo Yuhao’s carving blade doesn’t exude any kind of elemental aura, even though it’s definitely very sharp.

Xuan Ziwen was very sharp. Very soon, he discovered the key point. To prevent his heavy breathing from affecting Huo Yuhao, he subconsciously covered his mouth.

Huo Yuhao’s expression was very serious, and he appeared very focused. Once he entered his focused state, he completely ignored the outside world.

From his understanding over the past few days, he had already gotten used to the Rain Dragon's Dance. Although he didn’t have full comprehension of it, his understanding of it had gotten better and better.

The more he understood it, the more he was astonished by its profundity. In Xuan Ziwen’s eyes, it was a godly skill. Wasn’t it exactly the same for Huo Yuhao?

The Rain Dragon's Dance seemed like something that no human could come up with.

The reason why Huo Yuhao could learn this carving technique was because the God of Emotions had imprinted all the secrets of carving techniques in the depths of his spirit. He had also imparted all his understanding to Huo Yuhao. However, Huo Yuhao’s talent in this aspect couldn’t be ignored.

He had used carving blades for ten years, and possessed a strong foundation. At the same time, he practiced with the Tang Sect’s Hidden Weapons. The agility of his fingers far exceeded that of ordinary people. In addition, his spiritual power was much greater than most people. Due to all these reasons, he was able to understand such a magical carving technique in such a short period of time.

Time passed, second after second. Xuan Ziwen moved from his original state of astonishment to being bedazzled. He was completely immersed by now.

Even though he couldn’t completely see Huo Yuhao’s carving technique, he still learned a lot. By using this carving

 

technique, Huo Yuhao was using a different route compared to most traditional soul engineers. There were some characteristics that Xuan Ziwen could intercalibrate.

How could he possibly miss out on such an opportunity?

One hour, two hours!

The complexity of this core formation was far greater than the previous two core formations. A good two hours passed. When Huo Yuhao finally lifted his right hand, the Ghostcarving Blade turned into three streaks of light that landed on the core formation and moved as if they were agile snakes. They twisted and turned, making cuts on the core formation. This was the final step.

Then the blade was put away, and the blue light disappeared.

Huo Yuhao stretched out his left hand and touched the surface of the core formation with one finger.

 

Xuan Ziwen couldn’t stop him before he poured his soul power into the core formation.

It was important to know that soul engineers would normally check whether a core formation was working before they would pour in their soul power into it to test it.

However, Huo Yuhao seemed to have intentionally skipped this step.

“Weng——” A soft buzz sounded. The entire core formation lit up. An orange-red light first shone inside before it started to spread from the holes in the core formation. Dense soul power undulations were released, and rings of orange-red light started to spread. The entire core formation was like an artistic piece that shone with bright light. It was smooth and bright.

“It’s done!”  Xuan Ziwen shouted. His voice was trembling slightly, as he was too agitated.

Huo Yuhao also let out a long breath. He sat on the chair behind him and was panting heavily. This was also his first time working on such a complex core formation. He was

 

completely certain that he would need several years to create such a core formation if he didn’t know the Rain Dragon's Dance.

He was secretly grateful towards the God of Emotions in his heart. This carving technique was too appropriate for making soul tools. In his mind, he also unwittingly thought of the Icy Clouds of the Nine Azure Dragons that Nian Rongbing had carved. He revealed a slight grin on his face.

However, his mind soon went empty. After overusing his brain, the first side effect was that his senses became a little dull and slow.

Xuan Ziwen looked fondly at the core formation in front of him. After checking it again and again, he verified that it was truly completed.

When he looked at Huo Yuhao again, there was no longer an excoriating and critical look on his face. There was only a passionate look in his eyes now.

“Yuhao!” Xuan Ziwen gently called.

Even though Huo Yuhao’s senses were a little slow right now, he still shuddered a little when he heard Xuan Ziwen’s voice. “Teacher Xuan, what’s wrong with you? Don’t call to me like that. I’ll get goosebumps.”

Xuan Ziwen was smiling as he arrived in front of Huo Yuhao. After this, he grabbed his shoulders and shook him with great force. “Tell me, tell me how this magical carving technique came about. Tell me, or I’ll strangle you to death!”

Huo Yuhao was dizzy from all the shaking. “Calm down, calm down Teacher Xuan.”

How could Xuan Ziwen calm down right now? Huo Yuhao used his actions to create miracle after miracle. A Class 8 soul engineer that had just obtained eight rings was able to come up with such an important core formation for a Class 9 soul tool in such a short period of time. It was a miracle in the history of soul engineers! How could he possibly calm down?

Finally, Huo Yuhao used his Instant Teleportation to break free from Xuan Ziwen’s grasp. After this, he retrieved his Ghostcarving Blade and passed it to Xuan Ziwen.

Xuan Ziwen felt a sinister aura when he grabbed hold of the blade. The sharpness of the blade even stopped him from taking an extra glance at it.

When he tried to use it, the blade turned into a streak of blue light that flew back into Huo Yuhao’s vertical eye before disappearing.

“Teacher Xuan, don’t even think about using it. This blade has already fused with me and become a part of me. It won’t be used by anyone else.”  Huo Yuhao could subtly sense a special aura from his carving blade. It was like a living entity. When Xuan Ziwen touched it, it generated a strong resistance.

Xuan Ziwen asked, “What about the carving technique? What’s with that? Yuhao, tell me. How have I treated you over these few years?”

Chapter 517: Qiankun Fortune Pill

“Stop, you don’t have to continue. I know what you want to say. Isn’t it just a carving technique? I’ll teach you, alright?” Huo Yuhao immediately continued. He was very intelligent! How could he not know what Xuan Ziwen wanted?

Xuan Ziwen was delighted when he heard that. However, his face also turned serious after that momentary delight. He took two steps back and widened the gap between Huo Yuhao and himself before bowing to him.

Huo Yuhao was shocked, and quickly jumped to one side. “Teacher Xuan, what are you doing? I don’t deserve such good fortune.”

Xuan Ziwen replied, “This is only right. Even though I don’t know where your carving technique came from, I’m certain that this technique of yours has set a precedent in the world of soul masters. Although we can’t exclude the importance of your magical carving blade in your completion of the core formation, we also can’t deny the fact that your carving technique is very important too! It’s not going overboard to call

 

it a godly skill. If you are willing to impart this carving technique to me, I’ll even call you teacher in the future.”

Teacher Xuan is indeed mad! In terms of martial soul cultivation, Ji Juechen is the craziest. But in terms of soul tools, Teacher Xuan is the craziest.

Huo Yuhao smiled and said, “Teacher Xuan, don’t say things like that. You’ll always be my teacher. Honestly speaking, I only attained this carving technique unintentionally. It’s very profound. I’ve not fully comprehended it yet. If you want to learn it, I won’t keep it to myself. You can learn it with second senior. I’ll impart it to both of you. However, it’ll depend on how much both of you can understand.”

“Alright.”  Xuan Ziwen acknowledged. He didn’t express any further words of gratitude. He was dragged to the Tang Sect by Huo Yuhao. How much had he contributed to the sect since then? When Huo Yuhao agreed to impart this carving technique to him, he decided in his heart that he was going to dedicate the rest of his life to the Tang Sect.

Huo Yuhao naturally didn’t know about this psychological change in Xuan Ziwen’s mind. He was exhausted by now, and

 

wanted to return to rest.

Over these few days, he had slowly gotten used to that weird seal between Tang Wutong and him. The two of them would be fine if they cultivated, but not if they got intimate with each other.

At the start, he was still a little uncomfortable. After all, he had spent a lot of effort trying to get Tang Wutong back. He really wanted to get intimate with her!

However, he was too exhausted over these few days. Every day after he finished making soul tools, he would have a weird blissful feeling when he returned to his room and saw Tang Wutong. They ate together and cultivated together at night. A gentle embrace, kiss and peck on the cheek left the two of them very blissful. His original depression also gradually disappeared and left him very comforted. He even started to like this lifestyle.

He took one month to complete all thirteen core formations. Ever since he had finished the third core formation, Xuan Ziwen had decisively passed all the work to him.

 

However, the Class 9 soul tool still wasn’t made by Huo Yuhao alone.

Even though he used his Ghostcarving Blade to complete the outer shell and all the core formations, he was still not good enough to complete the final installation and testing step. After a few failures, he let Xuan Ziwen complete the assembly of the soul tool to prevent the core formations from being damaged.

Of course, Huo Yuhao and He Caitou learned a lot from this entire process. However, it still didn’t help Huo Yuhao become a Class 9 soul engineer in one day.

Huo Yuhao didn’t mind this at all. He didn’t possess the abilities of a Class 9 soul engineer initially. If not for the magic of the Rain Dragon’s Dance, he wouldn’t have been able to do everything he had.

Over the past month, Huo Yuhao’s abilities in terms of soul tools increased by leaps and bounds. His own research, Xuan Ziwen’s guidance and the Rain Dragon’s Dance formed a compatible combination that helped him to improve greatly.

 

He also imparted the Rain Dragon’s Dance to Xuan Ziwen and He Caitou. It was very profound, and understanding it was very difficult. Furthermore, the two of them didn’t have the Ghostcarving Blade, and thus they were very slow in learning. However, even so, they still learned a lot when they combined their own carving techniques with this new technique. The three of them managed to improve very quickly as a result.

A scarlet-red light shot into the sky and illuminated the entire laboratory.

A gentle icy-blue barrier engulfed this scarlet-red light and prevented the high temperature that was used to melt metals from burning the lab down.

“It’s  done.”  Xuan  Ziwen  clapped  his  hands,  and  appeared very excited.

The huge furnace was placed on the laboratory desk. It wasn’t covered, and was what the red light earlier had come from.

 

Huo Yuhao and He Caitou were standing at the sides. They both appeared very delighted.

After a month of hard work, this Class 9 soul tool was finally completed.

Even Xuan Ziwen was very pleased when he saw this completed product. To a Class 9 soul engineer, being able to create a Class 9 soul tool, especially one that he had researched on his own, was a very satisfying thing!

As he was excited, Xuan Ziwen subconsciously glanced at Huo Yuhao. He knew that this pill furnace wouldn’t have been constructed so quickly without his Rain Dragon’s Dance. He even secretly sighed in his heart. If Huo Yuhao’s cultivation was a little higher and his experience was a little more tempered, he would have immediately become a Class 9 soul engineer with this new carving technique.

“It’s finally completed.”  Huo Yuhao heaved a sigh of relief. After completing the pill furnace, it meant that he could finally begin cultivating pills! This was a joyous thing for the entire Tang Sect.

 

Xuan Ziwen said, “When are you planning to begin?”

Huo Yuhao said, “I’ll perform some tests over the next few days first and try out this furnace. After this, I can start the production of pills. I’ll use some ordinary medicinal herbs to accumulate some experience first.”

Xuan Ziwen said, “That’s good. Don’t waste resources.”

“Okay.”

Over the next few days, Huo Yuhao was immersed in his attempts to try out pill cultivation. It had to be said that a top- grade pill furnace was extremely helpful in his cultivation of pills. Controlling the fire and consolidating the medicinal power could all be completed using a pill furnace!

Rather than accumulating experience, it was more that he was familiarizing himself with the pill furnace.

Huo Yuhao didn’t dare to be careless either. The resources used to cultivate pills were very valuable! Wasting even a little

 

was already very painful.

This was why he used five days to accumulate experience. He cultivated a few ordinary medicines and tried them himself. It was only after deciding that they were effective enough that he started to prepare to cultivate pills.

As a result, Xuan Ziwen’s laboratory was completed occupied by Huo Yuhao. Although pill cultivation wasn’t as troublesome as creating a soul tool, it was still not an easy thing to do too. Huo Yuhao brought back more than ten different types of valuable treasures. First, he had to dispense the medicines first. After that, he could begin cultivating pills. This time, he didn’t even return to his own residence. He kept himself busy in the laboratory. Every day, Tang Wutong brought food and beverages for him.

Day after day passed. Apart from Tang Wutong, even Xuan Ziwen had not returned to the laboratory.

Tang Wutong only brought him food every day. After that, she would accompany him in his cultivation to recover his energy.

 

No one had expected Huo Yuhao to spend more time cultivating pills than he had taken to create the pill furnace itself.

If not for the fact that Tang Wutong passed them news that Huo Yuhao was fine, everyone in the Tang Sect would have gotten very anxious.

Three months. Huo Yuhao spent an entire three months in the laboratory.

“Alright. This batch of resources has to be in place as soon as possible. Otherwise, the Soul Tool Hall will be bare of resources.” Bei Bei instructed a Tang Sect disciple.

“Yes.” The disciple acknowledged his words and quickly left.

“Take a rest.”  A gentle voice sounded behind Bei Bei, and a pair of delicate hands were placed on his shoulders.

Bei Bei’s pensive gaze immediately turned gentle. He grabbed the little hands on his shoulders and pulled the owner of those

 

hands toward himself. He placed her down on his legs and gently embraced her.

“Xiao Ya, how are you feeling today?” Bei Bei asked softly.

Tang Ya twisted her lips and said, “It’s always the same. It’s neither good nor bad. It’s really not a comfortable feeling!”

Bei Bei revealed a slight grin on his face when he saw her acting like this. However, his grin was filled with some bitterness too.

Yes, Tang Ya’s memories had basically been restored.

After Huo Yuhao purged the toxins from her body, Tang Ya slowly regained her awareness, and her memory also gradually recovered. Even her cultivation was preserved. However, she couldn’t use her cultivation right now, as her body was too weak.

A few months had passed. She had slimmed down greatly, even though she wasn’t very fat to begin with. The more she

 

slimmed down, the thinner she became. Her skin turned an unhealthy pale-white shade, and she lost some of her energy.

Initially, Bei Bei was very happy when he saw that Tang Ya had regained her awareness. However, he then discovered that he was more unhappy after Tang Ya regained her memories.

Four months had passed since the mission had been announced. At times, someone would bring something similar to the Bluesilver Emperor. However, none of these proclaimed Bluesilver Emperors worked.

As time passed, fewer and fewer people came. This showed how rare the Bluesilver Emperor was. Bei Bei was very busy with his work everyday, and he still had to spend time with Tang Ya. Recently, he felt more and more fatigued.

Compared to the bitterness in his heart, Tang Ya was very happy after recovering her memories. When she saw that the Tang Sect was already in such a state, she seemed to be glowing.

However, even if she was in a much better state of mind, her body was still affected by the poison. She called herself a funnel before, because she kept losing the life energy that she absorbed from the Life Guardian Blade. However, it was also because of this that she was able to maintain her current condition. Otherwise, she wouldn’t even be able to get out of bed right now.

Bei Bei exerted a little more force with his arm and brought Tang Ya closer to him. He was afraid that she would leave him if he wasn’t careful enough. He couldn’t imagine what he would do if that happened. He couldn’t imagine how pained he would be.

“Bei Bei.” Tang Ya gently called his name.

“Yes.” Bei Bei softly acknowledged.

Tang Ya softly said, “Do you think I’m very spoiled? If not for the fact that I left, so many things wouldn’t have happened.”

 

“No, it’s my fault. I couldn’t protect you.” Bei Bei looked at Tang Ya, and his face was filled with guilt. “If I had understood your thoughts better and showed you more concern, so many things wouldn’t have happened, and you wouldn’t have suffered so much. Xiao Ya, don’t worry, I’ll treat you no matter

what.”

Tang Ya smiled and said, “Alright, don’t be like this. Am I not alive and well? If you want to make me happy, you need to be happy yourself. Even if I can’t live much longer, do you really wish to see me in pain even as I draw my last breath? Be happy with me, okay?”

Bei Bei smiled. “Alright.”

Tang Ya brought her face to his and whispered, “Bei Bei, I want to bear you a son, and we’ll name him as a Tang. Alright? Otherwise, the Tang Sect won’t have anymore descendants.”

Bei Bei was shocked and immediately responded. “No.”

“Why not? Don’t you love me?” Tang Ya immediately pursed her lips. Although she had recovered her memories, her

 

character had also reverted to her teenage days too.

Bei Bei laughed bitterly. “It’s not that we can’t name him as a Tang, but that you can’t bear a child. Given your current condition…”

Tang Ya shook her head and said, “No, I’m fine. I can do it. My life energy is lacking, but our life energies combined can still produce a new life. He can live on my behalf. How great would that be? If I die and can’t remain by your side, he can be with you. You won’t feel lonely either, right?”

Bei Bei’s body shook, and tears surged from his eyes. He hugged her tightly as he lost control of his emotions. “No, no, Xiao Ya, I won’t let you die. You must not die. If you dare to die, I’ll accompany you.”

Tang Ya caressed Bei Bei’s hair. The look in her eyes was very gentle. “Silly, where can you find someone who doesn’t die? It’s only a matter of timing. I don’t feel indignant at all! You’ve already completed my greatest wish, and you love me so much too. Even though I’ve not lived for a long time, I’ve done what I wanted to. I have no regrets! I only want to bear you a child, alright?”

Bei Bei couldn’t even answer her. Right now, he was sobbing uncontrollably.

“Bei Bei, Bei Bei.”  At this moment, a voice sounded from outside.

Tang Ya immediately broke free from Bei Bei’s embrace. Bei Bei also hurriedly wiped away his tears. He was the decision- maker in the Tang Sect. He couldn’t possibly let anyone see him like this.

Xu Sanshi rushed in. Only he was capable of rushing into Bei Bei’s room and making such a huge commotion.

Once he entered, he felt something wrong with the atmosphere. He saw the displeased look in Tang Ya’s eyes before he saw Bei Bei’s slightly red eyes.

He coughed. “Have I come at a bad time? Should I come back later?” Xu Sanshi was about to turn around and leave.

 

“Cut  the  crap.  Say  whatever  you  have  to  say.”   Bei  Bei snapped. He understood Xu Sanshi’s character very well. From his voice, he could tell that something had happened, and it had to be something good.

“It seems like little junior is about to exit his closed-door cultivation. There’s a very strong medicinal smell coming from the laboratory. It’s everywhere now. Do you want to take a look?”

Xuan Ziwen’s laboratory was in the basement, and it was well-sealed. If the medicinal smell could diffuse from the laboratory, it showed how strong the smell was.

After hearing Xu Sanshi’s words, Bei Bei was also jolted awake. Although he knew that no medicine Huo Yuhao came up with could treat Tang Ya, he still bore a glimmer of hope in his heart.

“Let’s go and take a look!”

Indeed, it was like as Xu Sanshi described. In fact, when Bei Bei left his room, he could immediately smell the medicine. It

 

was very light, but refreshing. By just sniffing it a little, Bei Bei felt as if his soul power had been stimulated.

Bei Bei thought of something, and said to Xu Sanshi, “Sanshi, quickly call all the Tang Sect disciples and gather at the practice arena. Everyone can meditate together.”

Xu Sanshi had been his partner for many years. He immediately understood what Bei Bei meant, “Yes! Why didn’t I think of this? I’ll go right now. You and Xiao Ya can proceed to the laboratory first.”

The two of them split the work well. Bei Bei held onto Tang Ya’s hands and quickly rushed towards the basement of the Soul Tool Hall.

The closer they came to the Soul Tool Hall, the stronger the medicinal smell was. Even by sniffing it, they felt extremely comfortable. Even Tang Ya developed a reddish glow on her face.

This medicine is very strong! What kind of medicine has little junior cultivated? It’s actually so strong.

When they came to the entrance of the basement of the Soul Tool Hall, the rest of the senior management of the Tang Sect had already gathered there.

“Let’s go, let’s all go down.” Bei Bei waved to everyone before saying to Na Na, “Na Na, I’ve asked Sanshi to gather the disciples. Whether they’re from the Soul Tool Hall or any other halls, immediately bring them to the basement and gather outside the laboratory after they arrive.”

The underground laboratory area of the Tang Sect was very large. It could hold a few thousand people at once. There were more than five hundred Tang Sect disciples in the Tang Sect right now, but it was still easy to hold them.

“Okay.” Na Na acknowledged.

The rest quickly entered the basement.

The medicinal smell in the basement was even stronger. Xuan Ziwen was astonished. “Yuhao is really impressive! What kind of medicine has he cultivated? Just by smelling it, I think

 

it’s more effective than the medicine I consumed last time. We can’t waste it. Quick.”

He was the one who had researched the pill furnace. Naturally, he was very familiar with it. It was a Class 9 soul tool. There was a vent hole that prevented the accumulation of pressure inside the furnace. At times, the pressure would be released. Undoubtedly, this was how the medicinal smell had spread out.

If the medicinal smell that diffused in this way was already so good, how strong was the medicine?

Inside the laboratory.

Right now, Huo Yuhao wasn’t the only one cultivating the medicine. Behind him stood Tang Wutong.

Although Huo Yuhao could barely make a Class 9 soul tool, he only had eight soul rings. He couldn’t operate a Class 9 soul tool.

 

However, he could do so with Tang Wutong’s help.

Over the past few months, he had cultivated with her using his Haodong Power. Their new Haodong Power had fused godly elements, which greatly helped in their cultivation. Furthermore, the fusion of their soul power was getting stronger and stronger.

With Tang Wutong’s support, Huo Yuhao could easily pour out the soul power of a Titled Douluo right now. It was definitely fine for him to continue cultivating.

Right now, the entire pill furnace was golden-red. The four vent holes at the top of the furnace would occasionally sizzle and release gas.

The entire laboratory was now filled with the fragrance of medicine. Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong could both sense the medicinal smell seeping through their bodies. That feeling was very magical. It felt as if their entire bodies had been cleansed.

They were about to succeed.

 

Huo Yuhao had been cultivating this batch of pills for a long time. More accurately speaking, this batch of pills contained all the valuable treasures that he had brought back.

Over the past three months, he had cultivated these pills twenty times. According to the different compositions of the medicines, he dispensed them and cultivated them, extracting their essence and removing their impurities. After he finished, he cultivated all of them together to produce this final batch of pills.

Such pills were some of the strongest, according to the records left behind by Tang San. They could even be considered immortal pills, and were collectively known as Qiankun Fortune Pills.

If not for the fact that Huo Yuhao had ‘cleaned out’ the entire Icefire Yin Yang Well and extracted the essences of the immortal plants around the well, he wouldn’t have dared to try cultivating these pills.

A Class 9 pill furnace was too strong. In his previous attempts, the essences Huo Yuhao cultivated were close to becoming pills. However, the cultivation process was too

 

simple, which caused him to be a little more ambitious. Since he had a Class 9 pill furnace and a complete list of resources, why shouldn’t he try making Qiankun Fortune Pills?

This was what he had achieved as a result.

It was just that he didn’t expect that cultivating these pills would be so difficult. When he first started, he only relied on his own strength and that of the pill furnace. However, as time passed, the essences of the resources were quickly extracted. When they mixed together, the amount of power that was released became greater and greater. Even the Class 9 pill furnace was unable to contain so much power.

Huo Yuhao had no choice but to use his soul power to maintain the production process.

From the first day he started on this batch of pills, it had already been forty-nine days. He managed on his own for the first twenty days. After that, he needed Tang Wutong to help him.

Furthermore, Huo Yuhao was stunned to find out that this pill furnace was easier to control using the Haodong Power compared to when he used his own strength. In addition, the effect seemed to be better too. The strong medicinal composition in the furnace seemed to submit to the Haodong Power.

This wasn’t just because the Haodong Power was much stronger than Huo Yuhao’s individual soul power. It seemed like the Haodong Power contained some kind of strength that the essences of the medicine had no choice but to submit to.

Right now, the medicinal fluid inside the furnace had fully taken form. Huo Yuhao was down to the last step of the cultivation, which was forming the pills.

What this meant was that the essences inside the furnace had to be compressed further to turn them into pills. This process was the simplest compared to the other steps, but it was the most draining too.

 

When Huo Yuhao started on this step, the Class 9 furnace seemed to be unable to take it, and needed to release some pressure first.

Fortunately, the medicinal essences were stabilized with Tang Wutong’s help.

As their soul power flowed in their bodies, Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong both shone with golden light. The bright and transparent golden light caused the glow emanating from their bodies to become stronger and stronger.

On Huo Yuhao’s forehead, his Eye of Destiny was already opened. In the center of his pupil, a whirlpool formed by his soul core was spinning rapidly. However, on a closer look, it was clear that this rapidly-spinning whirlpool was no longer as black and deep as before. Rather, it was formed from black and white. The mysterious black and white continuously formed the images of Yin and Yang, and a weird spiritual undulation was revolving around Huo Yuhao’s body.

As for Tang Wutong, the golden trident on her forehead was very clear. It exuded an elegant yet domineering aura.

 

Their Haodong Power formed a massive golden whirlpool with their bodies at the center. This whirlpool was spinning rapidly.

The diameter of this golden whirlpool was around three meters, but it didn’t expand further. Within it, there was immense soul power. At the core of this whirlpool, a crystal entity that resembled that of a soul core seemed to have taken form.

A soul core from a martial soul fusion? Regarding this, even Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong were unsure.

Their soul core presented itself in a jujube-like shape. Not long after their Haodong Power consolidated, it appeared. As they cultivated further and further, this soul core also became more and more evident.

Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong could only sense that there was an extremely terrifying compressed soul power contained within their soul core.

 

They had been cultivating over the past few months, but hadn’t had a chance to fight yet. After all, Huo Yuhao was very busy with his learning and research. However, he deeply believed that their martial soul fusion had to be a hundred and twenty percent now, if it had been a hundred percent before.

“Chi——” The vent holes were sizzling again. Following this, the entire furnace turned a blinding gold.

Strong golden lights flashed, and a fragrance swept over the entire place. After this, the lights retracted once again before shooting into the sky. The temperature in the entire laboratory rose quickly.

A large number of rare metals started to soften under this high temperature.

Huo Yuhao stretched out his hands in front of him, and an icy-blue glow was instantly released from his body, turning into a massive barrier that engulfed the golden lights. This helped to isolate the extremely high temperature.

 

Dim light shone, and Huo Yuhao revealed an icy-cold and mysterious look on his face. He pointed at the furnace with his right hand.

While it seemed like a simple action, it actually helped to stabilize the furnace, which was shaking tremendously. This wasn’t the effect of his Ultimate Ice, but a result of his spiritual power.

His Spirit Eyes’ soul core released unprecedently strong spiritual undulations, and immense spiritual pressure descended, compressing the medicinal energy that was stirring in the furnace.

At this instant, Huo Yuhao only felt that his emotions were like a hill and he was like a mountain, as he suppressed the undulations of the medicinal energy.

Emotions, was this the power of emotions?

Before he saw the God of Emotions, Huo Yuhao’s use of his emotional strength wasn’t deliberate. It only happened because his yearning for Wang Dong’er was too intense.

Right now, his action was deliberate. He had actually succeeded. Right now, his emotions were terrifying.

When he fused such power into his spiritual power, Huo Yuhao only felt that his spirit, spiritual power and emotions had fused into one entity.

Immense soul power undulations were released under such conditions, fusing with the strange spiritual undulations.

Tang Wutong, who was seated by Huo Yuhao, had already opened her eyes. She was completely astonished. Whatever Huo Yuhao felt, she felt the same too.

What kind of strength is this? It’s so powerful. At that instant, she only felt that Huo Yuhao had become a mighty mountain in front of her. He was immovable, and completely domineering. Even she felt that he was irresistible, even though she had fused with him to generate their Haodong Power.

 

The golden light from the furnace slowly turned golden-red before gradually dimming. The medicinal energy that was seeping out finally retracted into the furnace.

Huo Yuhao let out a long breath, and his emotions also became less intense.

The pills were done!

Even as the mighty feeling disappeared, Huo Yuhao was still Huo Yuhao.

Tang Wutong pulled her palms back and took a deep breath.

She slowly stood up.

“Was it successful?” She asked softly.

“Yes.” Huo Yuhao turned around and smiled.

Huo Yuhao then stood up and came in front of the pill furnace with Tang Wutong.

Tang Wutong said, “It seems like your strength seemed to change earlier? What kind of strength was that? It can actually suppress medicinal energy. At that moment, I could even sense that you didn’t use much of the Haodong Power either.”

Huo Yuhao asked, “Do you still remember my Three Ultimate Haodong Skills?”

Tang Wutong revealed a warm look in her eyes when she heard the words ‘Three Ultimate Haodong Skills’, and nodded. How could she not remember? Before she regained her memories, she had personally witnessed him using them. Back then, Huo Yuhao had used his Three Ultimate Haodong Skills to astonish the Death God Douluo. She only truly understood that strong sense of yearning after she recovered.

Huo Yuhao smiled and gently hugged her waist, saying, “The reason why my Three Ultimate Haodong Skills are so strong is because I fused everything in my life into them. During the fusion process, the catalyst was my emotions, my yearning for you. This helped me to discover the profundity of emotions.”

 

“The same soul master with the same abilities can unleash different fighting strengths under different emotions. If he can properly control his emotions and fuse them with his abilities, he can greatly increase their power. Earlier, I tried to fuse my emotions and the spiritual power of my Spirit Eyes together before using everything I had to ensure a complete fusion. In that way, I was able to unleash two hundred percent of my abilities through my emotional undulations.”

Tang  Wutong  appeared  pensive.  “Such  a  self-created  soul skill isn’t simple! I shall try it too.”

Huo Yuhao lowered his head and said, “In fact, I don’t think it’s as effective as the original Three Ultimate Haodong Skills, even though I’ve managed to comprehend some of the mysteries within them. You should know that I relied on my Three Ultimate Haodong Skills to kill an evil Soul Douluo when I was still a Soul Emperor. Come, I’ll let you sense my emotions.”

As he spoke, a strong sense of love mixed with his spiritual power spread towards Tang Wutong.

 

Tang Wutong was stunned. Following this, her ears turned red. She seemed to be tearing up a little as she looked at Huo Yuhao.

She couldn’t resist his love at all.

“Alright,  everyone’s  waiting  outside.  Quickly,  open  the furnace.”  Tang Wutong said softly as she leaned against Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao immediately stepped back. The mysterious, sealed power on Tang Wutong’s body was too terrifying. He had tried to resist it before, but the final result was that he got bruised. Furthermore, the more he resisted, the more tragic he became.

Huo Yuhao had used the furnace until he was very familiar with it. He touched the furnace a few times before it released a layer of soul power undulations. Following this, the temperature of the furnace rose again. It was releasing the heat and pressure inside it.

 

Huo Yuhao waved his right hand, and a layer of Ultimate Ice formed a meter away from the furnace, dissipating the heat.

This lasted for ten minutes before the heat inside the furnace was fully dissipated. Huo Yuhao mimicked a lifting action, and the cover of the furnace slowly rose with a creak. The medicinal fragrance that had disappeared earlier immediately swept the air.

The fragrance was only released for an instant, but Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong felt as if their pores had been opened. They were greedily absorbing the essence of heaven and earth into their bodies.

Something even stranger appeared. A layer of light surged out of the furnace and formed a smooth glow. Within this glow shone lights that resembled the intersection of sunrays and moonlight.

The Qiankun Fortune Pills were completed!

Huo Yuhao lifted his head to look inside the furnace. He also didn’t know how many pills he could cultivate. He had used

 

almost all the materials he had, as he had wanted to maximize the effect of the medicine.

When he looked at the Qiankun Fortune Pills, he couldn’t help but reveal an astonished look on his face.

The pills were milky-white and smooth. Every pill was covered in fog, and was the size of a fingernail. There weren’t many of them. It seemed like there were only seven pills. Yes, there were exactly seven pills.

Chapter 518: How Do We Split the Pills?

They were forged from more than forty different natural treasures! But there were only seven pills?

Huo Yuhao couldn’t help but frown at the number.

The Tang Sect’s inner circle had more than seven people. Besides Shrek’s Seven Monsters, there was Xuan Ziwen, Gao Dalou, Na Na, Ye Guyi, Ji Juechen, Jing Ziyan, and Nan Qiuqiu.

There were only seven pills, so who would get one, and who wouldn’t? Furthermore, this Qiankun Fortune Pill was claimed to contain the good fortune of heaven and earth, and it could completely change a person’s body and soul. The reason why Huo Yuhao had insisted on making these was because he had hoped for the Qiankun Fortune Pill to improve Tang Ya’s body. Even though it wouldn’t release her life energy like the Bluesilver Emperor would, but if it could rely on its fortune of heaven and earth to completely change her body, then it could guarantee that her life wouldn’t be in danger, at least.

 

But there were only seven pills, so dividing them was a tough problem.

Tang Wutong could see what Huo Yuhao saw. She squeezed his hand and whispered, “Don’t worry, Yuhao. At least the forging was successful. Let’s get everyone together to discuss how to divide this. I won’t take one. After all, I already have eight soul rings, and our cultivation speed isn’t that slow, as we can cultivate together with Haodong power.”

Tang Wutong’s words were like water from a clear spring that rinsed Huo Yuhao’s anxious and restless heart. He pulled her tightly into his embrace and said, “What else is there to want but a lover like you!”

Strangely, Tang Wutong’s seal didn’t act up this time.

Huo Yuhao took out a jade bottle and put all seven pills inside, and only then did he open the gate to the laboratory and walk out with Tang Wutong.

Huo Yuhao was startled just as he stepped out. A large mass of the Tang Sect’s disciples were seated outside; it looked like

 

almost every single one of them was here.

A thick and aromatic smell of medicinal fragrance wafted out once the lab’s door was open, and permeated the entire Soul Tool Hall’s underground foundations.

Bei Bei and the others hurriedly came forward.

“Is the pill-forging successful, little junior brother?” Bei Bei asked.

Huo Yuhao replied, “Don’t worry, eldest senior brother, it’s successful. But…” A bitter smile appeared on his face as he spoke.

Bei Bei felt his heart skip a beat. “What’s wrong?” Huo Yuhao had already wasted four months so that he could forge this batch of pills! At least, it was a waste from Bei Bei’s perspective, because Huo Yuhao could achieve excellent results if he had used the past four months to cultivate. However, Huo Yuhao didn’t hesitate to spend his precious time on the Tang Sect. Everyone was full of gratitude, even though they didn’t say much.

Huo Yuhao whispered, “There’s too few. Let’s speak outside, eldest senior brother.”

Bei Bei immediately understood as he nodded and said without changing his expression, “All of the Tang Sect’s disciples, remain here to cultivate and absorb the medicinal effects. Everyone above the status of vice-Hall Master, follow me out for a meeting.”

Everyone stepped out one after another as they arrived inside the Tang Sect’s conference hall.

Huo Yuhao’s face was a little pale because he was too tired. The others didn’t know that the number of pills that he had forged was very few, but everyone could tell from his and Bei Bei’s expressions that something was wrong, that a problem had occurred with the pill-forging.

Bei Bei and Tang Ya sat in the seats of honor, while Huo Yuhao and Xuan Ziwen sat beside them.

Bei Bei nodded in Huo Yuhao’s direction.

Huo Yuhao had to take responsibility at a time like this, and he stood up and said, “Teacher Xuan, my senior brothers and sisters, the pill-forging was successful. I have used the natural treasures that I brought back from the Yin Yang Icefire Well, and I forged them into a batch of pills. This pill is called the Qiankun Fortune Pill, and it’s the best kind of pill that the Tang Sect’s ancestor, Tang San, recorded in his archives. It is claimed to contain the good fortune of heaven and earth.”

He took out the jade bottle as he spoke and placed it on the tabletop.

Everyone’s eyes fell on the jade bottle.

“This is my first attempt, but all of the medicines and herbs were only enough to make this one batch. Therefore, I don’t know how strong the Qiankun Fortune Pill’s effects are going to be. But there’s a problem with the number of pills forged, because there’s only seven complete ones.”

Seven?

 

Everyone was momentarily stunned when they heard that number, and the conference hall immediately fell silent.

Every single one of them knew from the benefit they had gained from the thick medicinal aroma from before that Huo Yuhao’s pill was out of the ordinary, but nobody expected that there would only be seven. There were already more than ten individuals seated here. How could they divide the pills if there were only seven?

Right in this moment, Xuan Ziwen suddenly stood up and said, “You guys can decide among yourselves how you wish to split the pills. I’m already old, so I don’t need to eat this thing. Besides, I’m already a Class 9 soul engineer, and I don’t have a long future of growth ahead of me. I’ll go back to the Soul Tool Hall to check on how those little fellows are doing with their cultivation.”

Xuan Ziwen’s expression was very sincere and decisive. There were only seven pills from the batch, and he was the first who chose to give up his claim. He was very clear about these pills’ value, and he had also helped Huo Yuhao complete the pill furnace. However, he knew that these extremely valuable pills would be much more effective for youngsters,

 

and that was the reason why he chose to relinquish his claim without any hesitation at all.

Such noble character and unquestionable integrity!

“No, teacher Xuan. Please wait for a moment, and let me finish.”  Huo Yuhao stopped Xuan Ziwen and didn’t let him leave.

Xuan Ziwen was momentarily stunned as he glanced at Huo Yuhao, and a questioning look appeared in his eyes.

Huo Yuhao shook his head lightly at him and said, “Please let me finish.”

Xuan Ziwen had given so much blood and sweat, and he had contributed so much so that the Tang Sect could be where they were today. He probably contributed more than anybody else here. When Huo Yuhao first began to forge the Qiankun Fortune Pill, he had already decided that Teacher Xuan had to get one, even if it would only serve to prolong his life and promote his longevity. Sometimes, affection and sentiment couldn’t be measured with profit or benefit.

Everyone’s eyes turned to Huo Yuhao. Everybody was selfish, especially in front of natural treasures such as this. But selfishness had to be distinguished with circumstance.

The Tang Sect was built upon everyone’s teamwork and unity ever since their establishment to the scale that they were at today. Every single one of them depended on and was attached to this group, and they were full of affection for each other as well.

Nobody wanted these external objects to affect their love for each other, which didn’t come easy. At a time like this, Huo Yuhao, who was the one who had brought back all these natural treasures, and who was also the one who had put in so much effort so that these pills could be forged, was undoubtedly the person who was most worthy of deciding how they would be divided.

Huo Yuhao just stood there as he briefly calmed his emotions before he lowered his voice and said, “This bottle contains seven pills in total. I’m the one who made them, and the number is limited. Let me decide how to split them.”

 

Everyone had the same reaction to Huo Yuhao taking the initiative to speak those words, but they were more even more relieved.

According to the typical manner that the Tang Sect did things, there was usually a democratic discussion when something big came up. But there were so many of them, but only seven pills, so how were they to be divided? Huo Yuhao took the initiative to shoulder this responsibility, so everyone felt more relieved. At least, whether or not they would receive a pill in the end, they didn’t have to shoulder that responsibility.

“Wait.” Huo Yuhao was just about to continue when Bei Bei suddenly stood up and interrupted him.

Huo Yuhao turned around to look at Bei Bei, and Bei Bei stared at him deeply and said, “Before Yuhao divides these pills, let me say a few words. No matter how these seven pills are going to be divided, nobody can object. The truth is, Yuhao has forged these seven pills all by himself, and we cannot use our emotions or our affections to split them. Instead, we should divide these pills based on our contributions. Teacher Xuan needs to have one. Without the pill furnace that came up with, this batch wouldn’t even be here today. Yuhao, I hope

 

that you will be as fair as you can when you divide these pills. Every single person here is a part of the Tang Sect, and the Tang Sect wouldn’t be here without everyone. Whatever your decision is will be the Tang Sect’s common consensus.”

Bei Bei was too familiar with Huo Yuhao. He said those words because he knew that Huo Yuhao was shouldering all the responsibility by taking the initiative to divide these pills. There were seven pills, so some would receive one, while others wouldn’t. Would those that didn’t receive one feel resentful? That resentment would be projected onto the person who had decided the split. That was the reason why Bei Bei emphasized that, because he didn’t want Huo Yuhao to bear this responsibility alone.

Bei Bei’s heart was actually in a lot of pain. He was the Tang Set’s main director, and he was the only one who was worthy enough to request the responsibility of dividing the pills from Huo Yuhao among everyone here. But he couldn’t do that, because if he had that responsibility, he couldn’t give one to himself or to Xiao Ya to show that he was being fair. But, even if he didn’t want one, what about Tang Ya? He was truly hoping that this pill could prolong her life! Therefore, he gritted his teeth, and didn’t make that request in the end.

 

Huo Yuhao nodded in Bei Bei’s direction before he turned back to everyone. The faint smile on his face was still there. “Eldest senior brother, you don’t have to be so nervous. The truth is, even though there are so few pills, it’s not that difficult to split them. Everyone might have misunderstood

that seven pills can only be divided among seven people. You guys are thinking that there’s more than ten of us here, so about half of us won’t get any? Actually, it’s not like that.”

“I don’t know how strong the Qiankun Fortune Pill’s effects are, but the level of natural treasures contained absolutely cannot be replicated, and it’s not too much to call them God- level herbs. Since that’s the case, why do we have to take one pill each? One person taking one pill each might even be counterproductive. We can always split one pill among several people. It’s also less dangerous that way, and we can be fairer to everyone. Isn’t that great? Therefore, you don’t have to be nervous, everyone.”

Everyone was first taken aback when they heard Huo Yuhao’s words, but their expressions immediately relaxed in the next moment. Wasn’t that right? Who decided that one pill could only go to one person?

 

Bei Bei was also momentarily stunned before he laughed out loud. Yes! I wasn’t thinking straight because I was too concerned.

Huo Yuhao saw that everyone had become more relaxed before he nodded and said with a straight face, “The Qiankun Fortune Pills have been forged, and what we have to do next is try them out. There are records in the archives that the Qiankun Fortune Pills contain the good fortune of heaven and earth, and we really don’t know what they can do with such a vague and broad description. Therefore, I have decided to test it first, to see how strong the medicinal effects are, then I’ll decide how to divide it. Everyone who’s seated here cannot escape, and everyone will test the pills with me. I will take one from the seven and dissolve it in water before dividing it equally for everyone. We will feel the medicinal effects together and see exactly to what extent they affect us. Of course, that doesn’t include teacher Xiao Ya. Her body is weak, so she will use it only after we finish testing its effects. We will decide how to divide the remaining six pills after we have finished testing them.”

Everyone nodded at the same time when they heard his words. Xuan Ziwen laughed and said, “Since everyone has a piece of the cake, then I won’t be so polite anymore. Count me in.”

Bei Bei said, “Yuhao, keep the pills first. Let’s do it this way: everyone can go back and have a good rest and gather some strength so that we can take the pills together tomorrow and see how they affect us. Sanshi and I will check on the rest of the Tang Sect disciples and see how the medicinal aroma is

affecting them.”

The conference was initially a little tense, but after Huo Yuhao’s clever suggestion, the mood became a lot more relaxed. Everyone was to try the Qiankun Fortune Pill’s effects, and even if someone didn’t get a pill in the end, at least they had tried it!

Everyone left to deal with their own matters. Bei Bei hugged Huo Yuhao across the shoulders and laughed as he said, “Nicely done, little junior brother. Did you know that I was really shocked when you said that there were only seven pills! We’ll be in trouble if this causes some infighting within the sect.”

Huo Yuhao chuckled. “Eldest senior brother, I don’t think you have to worry about that. With the relationships that we have with each other, even if some of us don’t get the pill in the end, everyone won’t complain that much.”

Bei Bei shook his head gently and said, “I don’t wish for anyone to have any negative feelings in their hearts. No matter what, your decision to divide it this way is great. Do you have something in mind?”

Huo Yuhao nodded and said, “I feel like the Qiankun Fortune Pill’s effects might be stronger than I imagined. But I can only be sure what the exact extent is after experimenting. I hope that I can give the Sea God’s Pavilion one pill when I’m dividing them later. The Tang Sect wouldn’t be where it is today without the academy’s support.”

Bei Bei nodded in approval. “That should be done. I was going to remind you if you didn’t mention it.”

Huo Yuhao said, “Of the remaining pills, one will be given to Teacher Xiao Ya to treat her illness. There will be four remaining pills, and if the effects are good enough, I think two should be dissolved into water for everyone to use, and we will leave two more in the Tang Sect just in case.”

Bei Bei tilted his head slightly and said, “Yes, that’s good. I’ll rest assured if that’s your plan. Alright, you’ve been working so

 

hard for so long, hurry up and get some rest.”

The night passed peacefully.

Morning on the second day.

The various members of the Tang Sect’s inner circle gathered in their conference hall.

Bei Bei had been here very early, and he said excitedly when everyone was gathered, “Yesterday, almost every single one of the Tang Sect’s disciples went into deep meditation after absorbing the Qiankun Fortune Pills’ medicinal aroma. Less than ten percent of them are awake at this moment.”  With that, the smile on his face became even more radiant.

Chapter 519: One and a Half Years

Deep meditation? Everyone from the Tang Sect was stunned when they heard those words. Several hundred people in deep meditation at the same time?

Bei Bei laughed. He was always so refined and elegant, and he rarely expressed too much happiness or anger, but there was clearly excitement in his eyes.

“I didn’t misspeak, and you guys heard that right. Everyone went into deep meditation, and those who came to earliest only did so at daybreak. Some of those who have woken up have told me that their entire bodies feel very smooth and clear, while many of their impurities have been expelled. I conducted a simple checkup on them, and discovered that their soul power hasn’t improved much, but their martial soul’s quality seems to have improved, while their bodies have become stronger. Those who have woken up are the Tang Sect’s weakest disciples, and they are comparatively less talented. That also means that the more talented you are, the longer you will be in deep meditation.”

 

Everyone exchanged glances, and incredulity flickered in their eyes.

What was deep meditation? That was a state that every soul master dreamed of achieving, and a single episode of deep meditation could bring realizations and understanding that was more important than cultivating for several years. Deep cultivation was a process which would directly give a deep understanding of one’s martial soul, soul power, and soul skills. It was just like sudden enlightenment, as a sudden enlightenment boosted one’s potential.

Back then, Huo Yuhao had an extremely long episode of deep meditation back at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. Even though that episode was long, it didn’t really boost his soul power, but it was that episode that consolidated his foundation as one of the elites of the younger generation. From that, one could see how important deep meditation was for soul masters.

This was an improvement of one’s talents! However, several hundred soul masters going through deep meditation at the same time was an event that had never happened before across the Douluo Continent’s entire history. Something like that was

 

impossible to imagine, but everything was clearly happening because of the Qiankun Fortune Pill’s medicinal aroma.

Even the pill’s medicinal aroma could produce such immense effects, so how intense would the effects of the pill itself be? Everyone’s eyes began to burn with passion inside the conference hall.

A crystal bottle was brought out and filled to the brim with clear water, while over a dozen smaller cups were taken out at the same time. Bei Bei nodded in Huo Yuhao’s direction and said, “Let’s begin.”

Huo Yuhao nodded. He took out the jade bottle that contained the Qiankun Fortune Pills as everyone looked on passionately. Once he opened the bottle, a strange aroma wafted out.

This fragrance wasn’t thick, but it was extremely penetrative. Everyone could smell it as soon as it was released, and a feeling that numbed their skulls surfaced as they felt like all their pores had been opened in the next moment. It was a very comfortable and relaxing sensation.

 

The pill itself was white and lustrous, and there seemed to be clouds drifting around inside it, as if the pill itself contained life energy.

Huo Yuhao covered the jade bottle and placed a single Qiankun Fortune Pill into the crystal bottle.

The crystal bottle also had a cap. Huo Yuhao immediately covered the bottle with its cap after tossing in the pill so that its medicinal effects wouldn’t dissipate.

A strange scene occurred once the Qiankun Fortune Pill fell into the water. The originally clear and still water began to boil and roil, and everything inside it became foggy and cloudy.

The white fog gradually turned golden, and then an even stranger thing happened. Scenes that reflected the sun and moon’s glory seemed to flash and flicker within the golden liquid, and the crystal bottle radiated with intense and brilliant light.

Everyone exchanged looks, and nobody could hide the bedazzlement in their eyes.

Huo Yuhao was the person who had crafted the pill, and he couldn’t  help  but  take  a  deep  breath  before  he  said,  “The Qiankun Fortune Pill does live up to its claim of containing the good fortune of heaven and earth. From my perspective, I think we have done this right by accident. With its medicinal effects, we may not be able to handle it if we had taken one pill each. At least, we absolutely cannot ingest one pill in one go.

Otherwise, we might run into big trouble.”

From when Bei Bei was talking about the Tang Sect’s disciples going through deep meditation together to the strange scenes that they were witnessing from the Qiankun Fortune Pill now, everyone could see its frightening medicinal powers. Nobody expected that a tiny pill like that could possess such forceful and terrifying effects.

Huo Yuhao used his spiritual power to observe, and only reopened the bottle after the golden liquid inside the crystal bottle had completely settled down. He poured the liquid equally into all the little cups that had been taken out.

This time, perhaps because the pill had been dissolved into water, its fragrance was more than ten times denser than before.

“Hurry and drink it. Don’t let its medicinal effects dissipate,” Huo Yuhao immediately reminded everyone after pouring everything out.

Everyone no longer dared to delay as they took their respective cups and finished the fluid in one gulp.

The fluid was plain and tasteless, and it didn’t seem that much different from drinking clear water. But before anyone could start guessing or sensing the changes to their body, everyone felt a wave of burning heat rising up and coursing over their bodies.

The people here belonged to the Tang Sect’s inner circle, and they were naturally different from the other disciples. The individual with the lowest cultivation rank was a Soul Emperor, while they were also prepared before ingesting the fluid. They immediately sat down and crossed their legs one by one and began to meditate in an attempt to catalyze the medicinal effects with their soul power.

But they realized after sitting down that they didn’t have to catalyze anything at all. The medicinal effects reached every

 

corner of their bodies after releasing itself, and the terrifying medicinal powers barged around through their passageways forcibly. Everyone could see a patch of gold when they looked inside themselves.

Tang Ya was the only one who didn’t drink. But she could smell the dense medicinal aroma in the air, and even though she was weak, she could still feel that refreshing and comfortable sensation.

Furthermore, she could observe most clearly because she was an onlooker. A golden hue appeared over everyone’s bodies after they ingested the fluid. That golden color wasn’t soul power. Instead, it was a kind of air flow that seemed very obscure and faint. The medicinal aroma inside the conference hall didn’t dampen because they had consumed the medicinal fluids, but became denser instead, like everyone’s bodies couldn’t hold back the medicinal fragrance. This time, the aroma was emanating from everyone’s bodies.

Such powerful medicinal effects! This was a single Qiankun Fortune Pill split into more than a dozen servings, and even then, it still possessed such intense effects. Tang Ya couldn’t help but draw in a cold breath.

 

Bei Bei had already told her that Huo Yuhao had decided to give one of the pills to her, but now, that decision didn’t seem very realistic. Tang Ya knew that her body was weak, and if she took one pill all by herself, she would probably be so weak that the pill would make her much worse! Fortunately, everyone else went ahead to try the pill’s effects before she had.

Huo Yuhao could feel his soul power roiling in his body. He and Tang Wutong had the highest cultivation rank among everyone here besides Xuan Ziwen, the soul engineer. The truth was, in terms of how pure their soul power was and in terms of total volume, Huo Yuhao probably even surpassed Xuan Ziwen.

That was the reason why what he felt was the most vivid. The medicinal fluid almost didn’t stop when it entered his body, and it began to spread from his abdomen. Huo Yuhao immediately felt like his soul power began to undulate and spurt like a geyser from the pill’s effects. The soul power inside his passageways, his skeleton, and his organs began to turn a pure gold.

But Huo Yuhao could still maintain clarity in his mind in this moment. Even though the formidable medicinal strength was stimulating him to the point where he almost couldn’t move,

 

he still managed to spin around as soon as possible while he pulled Tang Wutong’s hands up and placed their palms together. Haodong power naturally began to circulate between them.

Strangely, the initially intense medicinal effects immediately settled down when they began to channel Haodong power, just like tidal waves from a large surging river suddenly flowing into the boundless ocean.

Their expressions immediately became relaxed. The medicinal effects were still strong, but there seemed to be a special force inside their Haodong power that could suppress the medicinal effects instead of allowing them to spread completely and wreak havoc.

Huo Yuhao was experiencing a very special sensation. He felt like the Qiankun Fortune Pill was a catalyzer, a catalyzer for soul power. Tang Wutong and his soul power was improving at a surprising speed under the effects of this catalyzer, resembling the rising of the tide.

Furthermore, their soul power wasn’t the only thing that was changing; even their spirits were being nourished along

 

with their passageways. Their bodies became smooth and clear, while there were already very few impurities within their bodies. In this moment, the Qiankun Fortune Pill made them feel like their entire body was transparent, and that purest and most direct improvement caused a faint smile to appear on both their faces.

The medicine’s effects were absorbed extremely quickly, but because their passageways were also being refined by the pill, Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong didn’t feel any swelling in their bodies.

The entire process took but fifteen minutes, while the pill’s effects were almost completely absorbed. Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong realized to their pleasant surprise that their soul power rank had clearly improved a lot, by a difference of almost two ranks.

A single Qiankun Fortune Pill was split into more than ten different servings, while their cultivation were already past 80! Furthermore, improving their soul power was secondary, while strengthening their own bodies was absolutely beneficial for becoming a Titled Douluo in the future.

 

They opened their eyes at the same time, as if by telepathy. Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong looked at each other, and they could see the joy in each other’s eyes. Huo Yuhao’s soul power had almost reached Rank 83 after the previous four months of hard work and assiduous cultivation before consuming the medicinal fluid, while Tang Wutong’s situation was similar to his.

After consuming the medicine, their cultivation had improved enormously after just a short fifteen minutes. They didn’t just break through Rank 83, they even broke through Rank 84, and they were now right between Rank 84 and Rank 85.

They were already eight-ringed Soul Douluo, and improving one’s cultivation was an extremely slow and difficult affair once a soul master obtained their eighth soul ring. But they weren’t normal people, and their soul power possessed special characteristics that normal soul masters didn’t. In addition to the effects of their Haodong power, their cultivation speed was already faster than normal people. This time, they were overjoyed because their cultivation had directly improved by so much due to the Qiankun Fortune Pill’s effects. Huo Yuhao could faintly feel that if he and Tang Wutong took one entire pill each, they could possibly directly break through to become Titled Douluo. This pill’s effects were just too powerful.

However, they were quickly jolted back to reality after feeling their improved cultivation ranks, and the reason was simple: the others’ situations were vastly different from theirs, and some were even in some trouble.

Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong smiled at each other, and immediately felt the excessively dense medicinal aroma inside the conference hall as they subconsciously turned towards the other individuals beside them.

 

Their facial expressions changed a little with that glance.

Shrek’s Seven Monsters were doing alright because their cultivation ranks were relatively higher. Even though their eyebrows were locked in a faint frown, they could still hold on, while the medicinal auras that they were emanating weren’t considered too dense. However, the others who had relatively lower cultivation ranks like Gao Dalou, Nan Qiuqiu, and Na Na were in trouble.

The golden light on their bodies was the strongest, and golden light could even be faintly seen along their veins under their skin, while their bodies were trembling vigorously.

All Tang Ya could do was worry as she looked on from the side. Her body was weak, and even though she still had her soul power, she couldn’t muster it at all because of those evil toxins. Furthermore, she didn’t even know how to deal with the situation at hand.

“Wutong,  quick!”   Huo  Yuhao  pulled  Tang  Wutong  and arrived behind Gao Dalou in a flash. Gao Dalou’s cultivation was comparatively lower than the rest, and he was also a soul engineer, so his soul power was quite a far cry from the soul

 

masters who had studied in Shrek Academy. The same was true for his bodily strength.

The Qiankun Fortune Pill’s effects were just too strong. Gao Dalou didn’t have Haodong power, and the forceful medicinal effects wreaked havoc inside his body as they barged around hysterically. Even though they were refining and improving his passageways and increasing his soul power, the process was pummeling his body. His entire frame was swollen, like he was a bomb that could explode at any moment.

Huo Yuhao pulled Tang Wutong and arrived behind him swiftly. They reached out with one palm each and pressed them against his back, while they held each other’s hands at the same time.

Just as Huo Yuhao had predicted, their Haodog power had a suppressive effect against the Qiankun Fortune Pill’s effects. Just like back when Huo Yuhao had first attempted to fuse his martial soul with Tang Wutong’s, this suppression was entirely hierarchical, like these forces and energies had their own ranks and hierarchy.

 

The medicinal effects in Gao Dalou’s body immediately settled down after the Haodong power coursed through him, and he heaved a deep sigh of relief. Soul power flowed within his body as he swiftly absorbed the pill’s effects.

However, their Haodong power unwittingly absorbed some of the medicinal effects once it entered his body. Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong didn’t want that to happen. Those bits and pieces that attached themselves to their Haodong power were parts that Gao Dalou couldn’t absorb at all. Differences in physiques also meant a world of difference in one’s ability to absorb natural treasures.

Gao Dalou’s situation stabilized after a few minutes. Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong withdrew their palms as they arrived behind Na Na.

Na Na was already a Soul Emperor, but she also started off as a soul engineer, and she was just a close-combat soul engineer. In addition to her martial soul’s special characteristics, her body was relatively weaker. Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong used the same method to help her stabilize her body.

 

The two of them then judged according to how quickly their companions were absorbing the pill’s effects and their respective situations, and helped them resolve their problems accordingly.

The difference in everyone’s cultivations could be seen from how they were absorbing the pill’s effects. In the end, the other five who were part of Shrek’s Seven Monsters, Xuan Ziwen, and Ji Juechen didn’t need Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong’s help, as they completed the absorption by themselves. They helped everyone else to varying extents, and Ye Guyi was the best off among those who required help.

There was a saying that kindness would always be rewarded. In the process of going to everyone’s aid, those leftover medicinal effects that everyone couldn’t absorb naturally entered Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong’s bodies. When everyone’s situations were stabilized, their cultivation ranks broke through to Rank 85 at almost the same time.

Huo Yuhao waved his right hand and released a layer of spiritual power as they separated the conference hall from the outside world, and the medicine’s fragrance permeated the air. This fragrance was also beneficial, and everyone could absorb

 

some of its effects as they cultivated. They couldn’t afford to waste the Qiankun Fortune Pill’s effects, not even a little bit.

Huo Yuhao directed the entire situation as he quietly observed Tang Ya.

Tang Ya didn’t take the pill, but she had absorbed quite a bit of the pill’s aroma after all the time that had passed.

Huo Yuhao used Spiritual Detection, and observed that even though the Qiankun Fortune Pill’s medicinal aroma didn’t help her eliminate the toxins in her body, and neither could it awaken her martial soul’s power, it could refine and improve her body, and it strengthened her resistance and immune system.

In other words, even though Tang Ya’s circumstance didn’t improve, the Qiankun Fortune Pill’s aroma slowed her deterioration.

Simply put, the Qiankun Fortune Pill’s aroma strengthened Tang Ya’s physique, and caused her life energy to flow away at an even slower speed. In addition to the fact that the Life

 

Guardian Blade was continuously supplying her with life energy, Tang Ya’s circumstances were already starting to change for the better. At least, her life would definitely be prolonged.

Huo Yuhao was immediately elated with that discovery. In the end, Tang Ya hadn’t actually taken the pill yet. Of course, Huo Yuhao knew that she couldn’t directly take a single pill, as its effects were too strong, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t take any at all. The effects would be the same as long as the pill was diluted like it was today before it was fed to her bit by bit! That way, her situation could first be stabilized so that they would have more time in the future to search for the Bluesilver Emperor so that her martial soul could be awakened.

Huo Yuhao heaved a sigh of relief with that judgment.

Teacher Xiao Ya’s problems are finally resolved.

Everyone who was absorbing the medicinal effects came to one after another with Huo Yuhao’s help. Those who had absorbed relatively less woke up earlier, and Gao Dalou was the first who recovered from his meditation.

 

Gao Dalou just bolted away after recovering. He had no choice but to run, as the Qiankun Fortune Pill’s effects forced out all the impurities in his body. He was covered with a layer of dirt and filth, and reeked terribly. He loved alcohol with his life, and his body wasn’t that strong in the first place. Even though he didn’t absorb much of the medicine’s effects this time, the improvements and ameliorations that he had experienced were the greatest.

Everyone’s circumstances weren’t that different from Gao Dalou, and they returned to their respective rooms after waking up one after another to clean themselves up.

Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and Ji Juechen were the last to wake up.

They were even a little later than Xuan Ziwen.

Xuan Ziwen didn’t say much after he woke up, but he gave Huo Yuhao a thumbs-up. His cultivation rank was the highest, and it didn’t seem like his body had improved much on the surface, as he had consumed many medicines in the past to refine and improve his body. However, he was clear that all the hidden problems in his body had been eliminated after consuming the Qiankun Fortune Pill, and his soul power was showing signs of improvement. This meant that if he worked

 

hard to cultivate, he still had a chance to increase his soul power. That was absolutely an unexpected surprise!

Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and Ji Juechen had the least impurities in their bodies. Even though their bodies were still a little sticky, they didn’t have to run away immediately after completing their absorption.

“How do you feel, eldest senior brother?”  Huo Yuhao asked Bei Bei concernedly. These three had completely absorbed the pill’s effects.

Bei Bei smiled faintly and said, “I feel fantastic.”

Xu Sanshi laughed heartily and said, “I don’t just feel fantastic. I feel like I’m on cloud nine! I can feel that my soul power has improved by five ranks, and I’m almost at the bottleneck to Rank 80. I suspect Bei Bei has experienced something similar.”

Bei Bei nodded, confirming Xu Sanshi’s words.

 

“That  isn’t  the  most  important  part.  I  can  feel  that  my martial soul’s intrinsic quality has also improved, and my spirit has been nourished. My cultivation in the future should be much quicker and more efficient.”

Huo Yuhao said, “If you’re reached the bottleneck at Rank 80, why don’t you guys try to add another Spirit? That should be fine, considering your spiritual power.”

But Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi shook their heads at the same time. Bei Bei said, “We have a lot of chemistry with our Spirits, we don’t need another one. Furthermore, our Spirits have more abilities that they can bestow upon us, and that’s sufficient for us to increase our strength and abilities. When the time is right, we will naturally obtain our eighth soul rings.”

Huo Yuhao took a long breath. That was just the effects of a single Qiankun Fortune Pill! The entire group benefited from just a single pill. Xu Sanshi and Bei Bei had the highest cultivations among everyone else. Their soul power had increased by around five ranks, so how about their other companions who only had around six soul rings? Their cultivations had to increase by a lot more.

 

Huo Yuhao was very happy. He hadn’t wasted his time over the past few months after all, as raising the Tang Sect’s overall strength was very important.

“Eldest senior brother, when are you going to let Teacher Xiao Ya take the pill?” Huo Yuhao asked Bei Bei.

Bei Bei replied, “The Qiankun Fortune Pill’s medicinal effects are too strong. I don’t think Xiao Ya can take one by herself. Why don’t we do it like we have done today? We can divide the rest of the pills among everyone else.”

Huo Yuhao shook his head and said, “Any medicine is most effective when you first consume it. Teacher Xiao Ya’s situation is unique, and dilution is a must. Furthermore, she has to consume less every time than we did today, but she can do it continuously so that she can digest and absorb its effects. This time, I am confident of ensuring that Teacher Xiao Ya’s body won’t deteriorate any further.” With that, he told Bei Bei about what he had observed from Tang Ya’s body and his own judgment.

Bei Bei was overjoyed. “Great! That’s just great. However, somehow, I feel like Xiao Ya doesn’t need an entire pill’s effects. Little junior brother, you and Tang Wutong should consume the rest of the pills. The two of you are the Tang Sect’s strongest fighting force now, and only the two of you can fight like Titled Douluo with your martial soul fusion. The academy has high hopes for the two of you. I suggest that the two of you take one more pill each, so that the you can become Titled Douluo as quickly as possible.”

Huo Yuhao smiled faintly and said, “Eldest senior brother, increasing our soul power by relying on our own cultivation is best. Using medicine to boost our cultivation, even if they’re natural treasures, is not as consolidated or solid compared to doing so through our own cultivation. We have already drawn upon a lot of medicinal effects this time, and we still have to rely on our own cultivation to stabilize and consolidate. We will be spoiling things by undue haste if we take any more. With our current cultivation speed, we can still increase our cultivation relatively quickly even without pills and medicine.”

Bei Bei nodded and answered, “Then do it your way.”

 

Huo Yuhao continued, “As for the remaining six pills, can I ask that you give one of them to Elder Xuan, eldest senior brother? Tell him the effects these pills had on us, and I hope that he can use one to raise his cultivation rank to become an Ultimate Douluo. One of the remaining five will be given to teacher Xiao Ya to treat her, and the last four will be dealt with according to the plan that we originally discussed. However, we have to push back the date that we plan to consume another one. We have to wait for at least three months before we

consume another one, and then another three months before we do so again. That way, we can maximize the pill’s effects, and we can also give everyone sufficient time to stabilize and consolidate their cultivation.”

Bei Bei answered, “Alright, let’s do it your way. But you should give the pill to Elder Xuan yourself.”

Huo Yuhao laughed and said, “Eldest senior brother, you and Teacher Xiao Ya are the Tang Sect’s leaders! This is the Tang Sect’s gift to the academy, not just my own.”

Bei Bei immediately understood what he was trying to say, and stared deeply into Huo Yuhao’s eyes before he patted his shoulder.

 

Huo Yuhao continued, “Eldest senior brother, after this, I plan to use my time mainly for studying soul tools and closed- door cultivation. I am afraid I won’t be able to help you with the sect’s affairs.”

Bei Bei nodded and said, “You don’t have to worry about the Tang Sect’s affairs. Everyone else and I will deal with them. The most important thing for you is to work hard to increase your cultivation along with Tang Wutong.”

“Yes.”

The Tang Sect passed an order to keep the episode with the Qiankun Fortune Pill quiet, and nobody was allowed to spread news of it to the outside world. The truth was, only the Tang Sect’s core members knew exactly how strong the Qiankun Fortune Pill’s effects were.

A single pill was sent to the Sea God’s Pavilion, and Elder Xuan went into closed-door cultivation afterwards, but he wasn’t the only one. The Martial Soul Department’s Dean Yan Shaozhe, and the Soul Tool Department’s Dean Xian Lin’er accompanied him.

 

Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong also entered a state of semi closed-door cultivation. Huo Yuhao would take out six hours everyday to learn about forging soul tools from Xuan Ziwen, and he would spend the remainder of his day cultivating with Tang Wutong.

The Tang Sect became busier than before, and everything was going according to plan.

The Sun Moon Empire grew quiet, seemingly because the detonation of Huo Yuhao’s Annihilation Storm had dealt an overwhelmingly heavy blow to them. The frontlines were also very peaceful. The Sun Moon Empire seemed to do nothing else besides consolidating the territory that they had conquered from the Heavenly Soul Empire.

The soul master legions that the Star Luo Empire had sent into the Sun Moon Empire’s territory to do battle were also gradually withdrawn, as the Sun Moon Empire had mustered their relatively stronger soul engineer legions to exterminate them. The Star Luo Empire’s soul masters experienced heavy losses after several skirmishes, and they had no choice but to retreat back through the Ming Dou Mountain Range to rest and readjust.

 

However, with the Ming Dou Mountain Range as a barrier and their experience from before, the Star Luo Empire had temporarily stabilized their defensive perimeter along their borders. The White Tiger Duke was still personally holding down the fort as they maintained their standoff against the Sun Moon Empire.

The war seemed to have come to a temporary pause. But there was still one thing that made the Star Luo Empire, the Heavenly Soul Empire, and the Dou Ling Empire very concerned.

Even though the war seemed to have paused temporarily, the Sun Moon Empire had strengthened their lockdown on surveillance and intelligence. They continuously transported aerial and ground-based surveillance soul tools toward the border so that they could shut down all information as tightly as possible.

It became overwhelmingly difficult for the Douluo Continent’s three native empires to conduct any reconnaissance within the Sun Moon Empire’s territories.

 

The Sun Moon Empire’s territory was already the largest within the Douluo Continent, and in addition to two-thirds of the Heavenly Soul Empire’s territory, the surface area of their territory was now considerably larger. Everyone knew that the war wouldn’t just end here, and when it erupted once more, it would likely be a thunderous and possibly final and all-out invasion that the Sun Moon Empire would bring.

Everyone was just accumulating their strength and waiting. What they were competing about was how quickly they could accumulate strength.

Half a year passed, and everything was still very quiet and peaceful. The Sun Moon Empire seemed like they had ceased their belligerence, and they even reduced the troops that they had stationed along the Heavenly Soul Empire’s borders.

However, the Heavenly Soul Empire’s territories that the Sun Moon Empire had conquered appeared far too tranquil. Half a year had gone by, but there were rarely any uprisings and whatnot, and even the reclusive sects seemed like they had given up on resisting and fighting back.

 

Six months flew by one after another, and a year and a half had gone by since Huo Yuhao forged the Qiankun Fortune Pills. He had already been cultivating within Shrek City for almost two years.

Within these two years, the Tang Sect’s disciples were almost about to forget that there was such an elite individual inside the Tang Sect, not to mention outsiders.

“Whew,” Huo Yuhao gradually opened his eyes as he exhaled deeply, but his eyes were filled with exasperation.

Tang Wutong was sitting opposite him, and she patted his hands as she said, “Don’t worry, we can do it.”

Huo Yuhao tilted his head slightly and said, “I had already guessed that this would be difficult, but I didn’t expect it to be difficult to this extent.”

Tang Wutong smiled faintly and said, “But everything will be different once you succeed.”

 

Huo Yuhao smiled and answered, “Don’t worry, as long as I have you by my side, I will never give up. Furthermore, I am more confident.”

They had remained inside the Tang Sect’s underground base to cultivate after consuming the Qiankun Fortune Pill. This place was the quietest, and it was conducive and convenient for Huo Yuhao to learn from Xuan Ziwen.

Tang Wutong returned to her own room to cultivate after eating lunch, while Huo Yuhao arrived at Xuan Ziwen’s laboratory as usual.

“Teacher Xuan,”  Huo Yuhao had just stepped into the door when he saw Xuan Ziwen sitting there with a blank look on his face.

Xuan Ziwen appeared younger than he was one-and-a-half years ago. Even though he was deep in thought, his eyes were still incredibly sharp.

The Tang Sect’s members had consumed three of the remaining Qiankun Fortune Pills as a group, and everyone

 

received unexpected benefits. Shrek’s Seven Monsters had all obtained eight soul rings, and Ji Juechen had reached Rank 89. He was just one step away from becoming a Titled Douluo.

But Ji Juechen wasn’t considered the strongest within the Tang Sect, and neither was Huo Yuhao. Huo Yuhao was just like him, still stuck at Rank 89.

Huo Yuhao should have broken through a long time ago in theory, but he had reached a tremendous bottleneck. This bottleneck stemmed from the soul core that he had formed.

He had already guessed that he would have a lot of trouble forming his second soul core because he already possessed his first one, but the difficulty far exceeded his expectations.

The medicinal fluids that came from dissolving three Qiankun Fortune Pills had already raised his cultivation to 89 a year ago, but he was still at Rank 89 even after one year. This was so even though he was cultivating with Haodong power. Furthermore, he was in closed-door cultivation, and he toiled day and night to cultivate without a single second of idleness. Yet, he still remained at Rank 89.

 

Therefore, he wasn’t the strongest individual within the Tang Sect. Now, the Tang Sect truly possessed a homebred Titled Douluo besides Xuan Ziwen, who was a Class 9 soul engineer. That person was Tang Wutong.

Tang Wutong had broken through seven months ago, and finally earned her title. She gave herself the title of Winter Butterfly.

The Winter Butterfly Douluo, Tang Wutong.

“Winter”  was so that she could commemorate that she was once Wang Dong’er, and “Butterfly”  was naturally because of her martial soul.

Tang Wutong had already formed her soul core successfully, and was now a Titled Douluo. How could Huo Yuhao not be worried? But forming his second soul core wasn’t something that he could just accomplish hastily.

He wouldn’t have reached Rank 89 so quickly without his first soul core, but forming his second soul core was just far too difficult.

But his mentality was still positive. Even though he was eager to improve, he wasn’t impatient because he had Tang Wutong by his side. Soul masters could accumulate their cultivation. Just as Tang Wutong had said, even though forming his second soul core was difficult, his cultivation would increase rapidly once that was successful, and he would swiftly reach another level.

“You’re here,” Xuan Ziwen waved to Huo Yuhao and gestured for him to sit down.

Huo Yuhao sat down on a chair next to Xuan Ziwen and asked, “How is it? Have you made any headway?”

Xuan Ziwen sighed and shook his head.

Huo Yuhao hurriedly attempted to console him. “Don’t worry, Teacher Xuan. We have already taken ninety-nine out of a hundred steps, we just have this final hiccup. We’ll take it slow, and we will continue only after we have found the best way to move forward. You’re tiring yourself out too much nowadays. Why don’t you take a break?”

 

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Xuan Ziwen’s mouth. “Who says I haven’t? I have hiccupped something out.”

Even though his expression appeared a little indecent when he was saying those words, Huo Yuhao still widened his eyes as he said with a shaky voice, “You… you’ve succeeded?”

Xuan Ziwen nodded gently and said, “At least, in theory.”

Huo Yuhao’s jaw hung open as his eyes were open wide. “Then why did you shake your head?”

Xuan Ziwen answered, “I shook my head because it cannot be replicated. Even though forging it is extremely difficult, we can still complete it between the two of us. But the conditions for using it are too demanding, and I can’t think of anybody else in the world who can use it besides you.”

Huo Yuhao heaved a sigh of relief. “You’re not very nice, Teacher Xuan.”